
Class 

Book. 

Copyright N°_ 



\l 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSffi 



WHAT THE CHURCH IS 
AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE 



BY 

LAFAYETTE SWINDLE 




BROADWAY PUBLISHING CO. 

8S5 Broadway, New York 

BRANCH OFFICES: WASHINGTON, BALTIMORE 

INDIANAPOLIS, NORFOLK. 






Copyright, 1912, 

By 

Lafayette Swindle. 



^CI.A314436 



CONTENTS 
Chapter Page 

I. The Home of Truth 5 

II. A Glimmering 13 

III. A Mission of Mercy 20 

IV. The Ideal Congregation 26 

V. The Story Related 31 

VI. An Accident 38 

VII. The Second Meeting 47 

VIII. The Mystery Solved 53 

IX. Old Ben a Hero 60 

X. The Relief Home 66 

XI. The Drive 71 

XII. Tom Doney 80 

XIII. Betty Loveby Tries to Reform 84 

XIV. The Obstacle Determined 93 

XV. Tom Doney in Trouble 109 

XVI. Out of the Ordinary 119 

XVII. Judge Gross in a Temperance Cam- 
paign 124 

XVIII. Betty Loveby Finds a Home 128 

XIX. The Agreeable Surprise 138 

XX. The "Hippo Club" 149 

XXI. The Next Evening 162 

XXII. Old Doc's Apology 169 

XXIII. Nevin Talks with His Parents 174 

XXIV. The Truth 181 

XXV. Back at theSpring 185 

XXVI. Great Rejoicing at the Church 191 

XXVII. Nevin Gross' Statement 196 

XXVIII. The Truth 199 



What the Church Is and 
What It Should Be 



CHAPTER I. 

THE HOME OF TRUTH. 

Settlesburg was one of the first towns to be in- 
corporated in this country. Because its population 
consisted of the most far-seeing and enterprising of 
the early colonists, their judgment prompted them to 
select a central and productive location for their set- 
tlement, and while their environment would have com- 
pelled them to put forth their best efforts, still these 
particular citizens were naturally industrious and did 
not have to be prompted by force of circumstances or 
anything else to labor. 

But now being so far from their mother country and 
in a somewhat precarious attitude toward her, they 
naturally became doubly energetic. They did every- 
thing that was in their power to do to develop their 
immediate part of the new country. They erected 
temporary homes, felled the timber, plowed the 
ground, grew harvests, established stores, schools and 
churches. 

Leander Gross was a citizen of this town. He was 
easily the most powerful man of the settlement and 

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ftOfmt t&e €bmtb l$ 



— he knew it, and in spite of his many good traits, 
the fact of his great physical strength made him just 
a little impatient, if not overbearing, at times. 

There were others who were just as ambitious as 
he and fully as daring, and Leander Gross could show 
more than one scar as the effect of their efforts to 
make up for their own lack of physical strength by the 
use of weapons. 

He was not a scholar, but possessed so much native 
ability as indicated him a natural born leader of men, 
and was interested in everything that had any 
tendency to advance the town and improve social 
conditions. 

Although he was not a scholar, as aforesaid, and 
had always looked upon it as a misfortune, yet he was 
determined that others, especially his own children, 
should not be put to the same disadvantage, if timely 
and vigorous efforts on his part could prevent it, so 
he insisted upon long terms of school and the securing 
of the very best of teachers, cost what it might. "The 
best qualified teachers are the cheapest at double 
salary," was one of his favorite expressions. 

Although he was not a Christian, still he was one of 
the first to suggest the erection of a church building, 
and one of the largest contributors in time, labor and 
means. 

"Mr. Gross, why are you so much interested in 
the church, since you are not a member ?" said Hamp- 
ton Kelly, the minister, one day, as Mr. Gross was 
insisting most enthusiastically that the church be com- 
pleted at once and paid for. 

"Mr. Kelly," said he, "I have always tried to make 
it a point to act a shade wiser than I look. Hereafter, 
will you do me the kindness to judge me by my ac- 
tions, and not by my personal appearance? For I 
have either discovered it myself, or some one has 

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told me — anyway, I know that a community is much 
better off with a church than without one." 

As the years went by, many towns were estab- 
lished; the lands from town to town in all directions 
were developed, and the population became so great 
that the children, many of them, had to emigrate to 
parts more distant. The old homestead was ample 
for the father and mother and their ten children — 
the size of families they usually had in those days — 
so long as the children remained single. But it was 
not sufficient for ten families. 

Mr. Kelly was not only a preacher of rare ability, 
one who understood the Scriptures as few men do, 
or are capable of doing, but he was a business man 
(rare combination) as well. Not that he was simply 
able to look after his own financial interests success- 
fully, but he devised, manipulated, superintended and 
carried to success systems looking to the alleviation 
of the suffering of the poor of the church, town and 
community. 

Jacob Ashberry was one of a family of seven chil- 
dren, whose father was dead and the widow was as 
poor as it was possible for any one to be, so far as 
this world's goods are concerned. She frequently had 
not one day's rations ahead. Her son, Jacob, when 
a boy, was frequently known to go barefooted 
through the snow for a quarter of a mile to his traps. 
This fact would suggest to even a casual observer, 
determination, courage, and true greatness of char- 
acter, but he said, in after life, that the children owed 
all their success to their mother; that if she had not 
been a woman of rare wisdom, she never could have 
been able to cope with so difficult a situation. 

As Jacob stood fully six feet high and weighed 
two hundred pounds, and had a classic brow, the stu- 
dent's eye, the mouth of the orator and the under jaw: 

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OTjat tfte QLfwttt) M 



of the bulldog, the Superior Judge was asked by some 
one: "Who is the ablest man who pleads at your 
bar?" 

"Oh, Jacob Ashberry, ,, said he; "for, in the first 
place, he is an indefatigable worker. In the second 
place, he is a prodigious student; and, in the third 
place, he is as fine an orator as ever appeared before 
judge or jury." To illustrate, a man was charged 
with perjury. Mr. Ashberry was retained to prose- 
cute him. A brilliant lawyer, with a wide reputation, 
was called upon to come three hundred miles to de- 
fend him. As the other lawyer was from a town 
much larger, at this time, than the town in which 
Ashberry resided, he took it for granted that he 
would have an easy time of clearing the man, and so 
expressed himself; but when Ashberry carried every- 
thing before him and had the man sentenced to the 
state prison for a term of ten years, the defeated 
lawyer offered him a copartnership in his own law 
firm, so impressed was he with his opponent's abilities. 

In his old days, Jacob's one regret was that he had 
never married, and as he had no children of his own, 
in whom to interest himself, he naturally became in- 
terested in the children of others. 

Jacob Ashberry, Hampton Kelly and Leander Gross 
were the first to observe the absolute necessity for 
emigration, make a study of the regions beyond, and 
urge the younger men to move out. But it was Mr. 
Ashberry's ready pen and eloquent tongue that finally 
inspired James Gross (Leander Gross' youngest son) 
and many others to emigrate, investigate, and, later, 
locate. These three moving spirits often said that if 
they were not so awfully old they would move out 
themselves. 



a 



ana mm it ^eouid age 

But for one thing, which will come to the surface 
as the reader peruses the pages of this book, possibly 
the town of Bidwell, established by these first emi- 
grants from Settlesburg, would never have made a 
city of any note, although it might have been found 
on the various maps, at any time, by diligent geogra- 
phers. 

Several decades past, a few Eastern men, who had 
made wonderful progress toward what their then 
small world called success, and possessing enterprise 
beyond that of their fellows, got some of their effects 
together, took their lives in their own hands, and 
started for parts unknown. 

They left their wives with a feeling akin to that of 
those whose husbands go to battle. And woe betide 
the deer, turkey, or game of any kind that appeared 
in front of their unerring rifles when food was 
needed. 

They continued their journey to what they then 
called the Far West, but which is now almost the 
center of what is called the Middle West. They 
selected a beautiful valley, through which flowed a rip- 
pling, rollicking stream; and, as they sat before their 
camp-fires of an evening, they would talk of the prob- 
able values of such lands, should they ever become as 
densely populated as the section whence they had 
journeyed, and feeling confident that it would, some 
time, they proceeded to stake off claims and erect 
cabins. 

They then sent some of their party after their 
families, while others guarded the claims. Upon their 
return, they found that they had not only brought 
their own families, but that others had joined them. 
Every year brought more and more, till the settlement 
demanded a store, where they could, at least, ex- 
change the products of their lands for groceries. 



OTat m Cfturcft 30 



Recognizing this fact, one of the above-mentioned 
pioneers took it upon himself to meet this demand, 
which he did, although he had to haul his supplies 
three hundred miles at first, then two hundred, then 
one hundred, and so on. 

As the line of progress and civilization widened, 
the citizens of Bidwell became more and more en- 
thused. They increased their acreage, erected more 
substantial buildings, and, characteristic of instinctive 
business men, those in authority, at no small expense, 
platted a future city, with its broad streets, boule- 
vards, parks, square, plots for state and government 
buildings, setting apart the most commanding places 
for the latter. They were well prepared to accom- 
modate a population of many tens of thousands more 
than had already arrived. 

So bitter was the opposition of those who could 
not see so far ahead, that they succeeded in unseating 
some of those in authority, but could not dislodge all. 
A sufficient number was allowed to remain to keep 
the officers-elect from undoing the work of their pre- 
decessors. 

A plat for so large a city, at present clear beyond 
the limits of necessity, made Bidwell a laughing stock 
and a subject for comic remarks by all who chanced 
to come that way, and especially by those who would 
not venture that far from home, and, hence, had only 
heard or read of this town. 

While all of those who came first were just as full 
of enterprise and as aggressive as was possible, still 
Judge Gross was always the dominant spirit in all 
things pertaining to matters of progress. Of course, 
a man of his progressive and aggressive nature, and 
so unerringly certain of success in all his undertak- 
ings, would necessarily meet with great opposition 

10 



ana mm %t ^fremiti ge 

from time to time, and would be profoundly hated 
by those who differed from him. 

But all, friend and foe, when they had legal mat- 
ters to attend to, would, almost to a man, go to the 
judge, for they all said, "When Judge Gross attends 
to it, we know, to say the least, that it is done legally." 

But, by and by, just as the judge and those asso- 
ciated with him had anticipated by tongue and pen, 
the line of progress and civilization not only struck 
Bidwell, but extended far to the north, south and 
westward, leaving Bidwell installed as the county seat 
and capital of the newly-formed state, with its splen- 
did pressed-brick courthouse, stone state and govern- 
ment buildings, and making phenomenal progress 
toward the great city provided for in the original plat 
of many years ago. 

And now, it is no longer Judge Gross, but Governor 
Gross, for when the new state was formed, the citi- 
zens turned as naturally to him for their first governor 
as the tender plant turns and reaches out for the first 
rays of the bright and brilliant morning sun; and 
they would have elected him again and again, had not 
the burden of years, prodigious study, and indefatig- 
able labors begun to tell on him so much, not be- 
cause they loved him, and hence sought him socially, 
but because of his unchallenged honesty and thorough 
competency, which he had demonstrated in every- 
thing that he had ever undertaken. 

But, in spite of it all, there seemed to be a dissatis- 
faction and an unhappiness in his own heart that he 
could not possibly suppress. It manifested itself in 
his walk and talk, and seemed to have stamped itself 
upon his very physiognomy. This made him person- 
ally repulsive and forbidding to every one, and made 
every one repulsive and forbidding to him. He seemed 
to love no one, and no one seemed to love him, yet 

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every one sought him when they needed him, and he 
sought them when he needed their services. 

But there was a great lack of some important thing 
— there was a great, aching void in his own heart, and 
hence, an apparently impassable gulf between himself 
and the people. What was it? He himself could not 
tell, neither could the people. All that he knew was 
that he despised the people, and all that the people 
knew was that they despised him. 

Notwithstanding this apparently impassable gulf, 
no man in all the city of Bidwell was consulted more 
and knew more of the private affairs of church and 
family than did Governor Gross. The lawyers, doc- 
tors, preachers, elders, deacons, bankers, merchants, 
husbands, wives, the employer and employe, the moral 
and the immoral, the proclaimer of righteousness and 
the perpetrators of unrighteousness— all came to Gov- 
ernor Gross when they were in trouble. 

He was one of the first acorns, so to speak, that 
had been planted in the virgin soil of Bidwell, and 
he had weathered the storms of pioneer life, of ridi- 
cule and of opposition of every possible description, 
and, as some one great oak stands out conspicuously 
the monarch of the forest, so Governor Gross stood 
out conspicuously as the intellectual monarch of the 
community. 

He had a splendid ten-room residence, the first 
story of which was made of granite and the second 
of cream pressed brick. The barn was commensurate 
with the residence, and both had a proportionate in- 
closure surrounded by an iron fence of unique de- 
sign and set to grass, a variety of flowers, trees of 
many kinds, walks, driveways and fountains, and situ- 
ated on the corner of Orange and Crescent streets, 
both prominent thoroughfares of the city. 

But now, Governor Gross has received a number of 

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ami mm %t ^boulB 'Be 

unmistakable physical warnings that he must cease 
from his labors and retire absolutely from his public 
activities. Anticipating this for some years past, he 
had spared neither time nor means in giving his son 
Nevin a finished education and abundant preparation 
for taking up the work where he would be compelled 
to lay it down. 

And, since his retirement, one can pass his resi- 
dence at any time and be most certain to see him 
sitting or standing on the veranda or on the lawn, 
not glorying in his great success in life, as one would 
naturally suppose, but brooding over an absolute 
essential, which he did not possess, and could not 
acquire, for the reason that he did not know what it 
was, and hence did not know how to seek for it. It 
was the only bitterness in his otherwise gloriously 
successful life. 



CHAPTER II. 

A GLIMMERING. 

If ever there was a young man who was prepared 
to take upon himself great responsibilities, Nevin 
Gross was that man. Physically, he was one to in- 
spire every lover of his race with pride. He had a 
powerful frame, broad and close-lain muscles, with 
life and health permeating his every fiber, and his 
splendid body was dominated by a mind and spirit 
that made him dearer to his mother than her own life, 
but puzzled his father and made him somewhat appre- 
hensive. 

To the supreme satisfaction of his father, this only 
son possessed that mental acumen which enabled him, 
with apparently little effort, to grasp every direct 

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and remote truth connected with whatever was 
brought before him for investigation. 

Then, by placing two large, expressive, blue eyes 
upon a person, he had the happy faculty of compelling 
him to speak the truth with fullness, and to hesitate, if 
not refuse absolutely, to speak that which is false. 
Even opposing attorneys could not help but cower, 
somewhat, under the power of those eyes, when they 
were attempting to exaggerate or minimize things in 
order to carry out their own furtive purposes. 

He never appeared in an important case but what 
his aged father was there to see and hear the son of 
whom he was justly proud. He was a finished scholar, 
almost a prodigy in the use of language, and had the 
voice of a trained artist. These, together with his 
splendid physique and imposing personal appearance, 
made him one before the strength of whose logic 
and the power of whose eloquence no judge or jury on 
earth could scarcely stand. 

One evening after one of the most masterful efforts 
that it had ever been his father's privilege to hear, 
and one of the most important victories that he had 
ever seen won, the father had preceded the son to 
the home by an hour and was sitting on the veranda 
where the vines, together with the massive column, 
around which they were twined, would shut out the 
sun, which was now sending his horizontal rays 
through every opening and into every niche and corner 
that would admit light, with wonderful power, just 
before disappearing behind the western horizon. 

The son came walking along leisurely, apparently 
looking upon all that had happened as a matter of 
course. 

"Son," said the father, "I have listened to men 
plead at the bar for the last fifty years, but I must say 
that yours to-day was the most masterful effort that 

H 



3n0 wmt M ^fjoulti -Be 



I have ever heard. Now, son, I want you to tell me 
where you ever learned so much, and how you can 
use it so skillfully when the time comes? Why, you 
simply had all the facts, figures, names, dates and all, 
upon your tongue's end. Besides, I have never in 
all my life, with my natural eyes and ears, seen the 
mountains, flowers, the setting of the sun as it throws 
its various shades of crimson, blue and light, look 
more beautiful, or heard the rippling of the brooks 
plainer, or the birds sing sweeter than I did in your 
wonderful effort to-day. How is it?" 

"Father, I don't know that there is anything espe- 
cially mysterious about it, for I have always been a 
student of these things, and when I appear in defence 
of the right — and I will give up my practice before I 
will defend that which is not right — why, under the 
inspiration of the occasion, everything that I have 
ever heard, seen or read, pertaining to the question 
to be settled, seems to pass before my mind in such 
bold relief that all that I have to do is to cull thunder- 
bolts and hurl them at them." 

"Son, it certainly does appear that way." 

"And how is my good mother, this evening?" he 
said, as he met her at the inner door, and threw his 
strong arms about her, and kissed her. 

"Oh, I am all right, and happy, too, over the fine 
showing that my son made to-day." 

"Yes, mother, I have been an obedient son to-day. 
I have at least made an honest effort to do my duty, 
as you always told me to do." 

"Doesn't it beat all !" said the father to the mother, 
entering the room, the son having passed on to pre- 
pare for dinner. "He will gain a decision, earn a 
thousand dollars, and so completely electrify the whole 
city that I verily believe that the people would literally 
carry him about upon their shoulders, if he would 

IS 



WllM tfje Cfjurcf) 30 



let them, and still he seems to be utterly oblivious to 
the meaning of his success or the appreciation of the 
people." 

"Say, Ben, if you will have Roanoke ready, we will 
take a spin after dinner," he called to the old negro 
hostler, as he crossed the hall, between the wash-room 
and the dining-room. 

"Yaas, suh; yaas, suh," responded Ben. 

Joe and Dan, the fine pedigreed and thoroughly 
trained setters, that were apparently sleeping as 
soundly as men in bed at a very late hour, by instinct 
heard their master's voice, and, springing to their 
feet, made a mad dash in his direction, but he passed 
into the dining-room, where they could not see him. 
They then whirled this way and that in the direction 
of every chicken in sight, but they, too, as suddenly 
disappeared from view. So there was nothing left 
for them to do but to run, neck and neck, for the old 
negro, as he was in the act of entering the barn. 

He being old, and both striking him at once and 
unexpectedly, they knocked him down. They then 
walked all over him, tore his clothing, and licked his 
face and hands, again and again, till they were thor- 
oughly cleansed for once. 

The mother, hearing the commotion without, said: 
"Just look out there. What are those dogs doing?" 

And, as the three stood peering out at the window, 
Nevin replied : "They are licking old Ben's face." 

"And what in the world are they doing that for?" 
said the mother. 

"Because, mother, they think that they are going 
somewhere, and that is their animal way of expressing 
their joy." 

Then they all returned to the deserted table, laugh- 
ing and in good spirits, for the evening meal. 

"Mother, was any better bread than this ever placed 

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upon a table to appeal to the palates of hungry men? 
And this pie, and this steak I" And, without waiting 
for a reply, he continued: "If I ever get married, I 
say, if I ever do, I want my wife to thoroughly under- 
stand just how to prepare meals like this. I want no 
change whatever. I want neither additions nor sub- 
tractions. I want them all to be facsimiles of this very 
meal." 

"Oh, son, you are too easily pleased when your 
mother directs the cooking. If some one else, even 
the wife w T hom you are so confident that you are going 
to have some time in the distant future, should pre- 
pare facsimile meals, as you call them, they would not 
please you so well. You know, as no one else does, 
exactly how to make allowances for me, because I am 
your mother and old. Besides, you think it altogether 
proper to encourage your old mother by flattering her 
just a little." 

"Never you mind, mother; I mean it — every word 
of it." And, for the moment, he straightened up, and, 
as he looked upon her, she felt a blessing nothing 
short of the entire affection of one of the greatest and 
most capable of natures. Forever afterward, that 
affectionate look was a source of strength and com- 
fort to her in whatever she might be engaged. 

"Son," said the mother, as they continued their 
evening meal, "will you, or can you, explain to me 
why you are so utterly oblivious to praise ? Any one 
but yourself would be so elated and top-heavy over 
such success as you had to-day, that he would talk 
about it all the time and would want others to do 
the same. Now, why not you?" 

"Mother, I have made the problem of human life 
and our earthly existence a study all my life, and, first 
of all, I have learned that human nature, as such, is 
exceedingly weak, thoroughly incompetent, and hence, 

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OT)at tU QLbnub 1$ 



never to be relied upon very long at a time. History 
for it, the people will sound the praises of men to-day 
and behead them to-morrow. For that reason, I de- 
cided long since, to never, knowingly, advocate or 
defend anything but that which is right — right in 
principle — right because it is right, and cannot, by any 
honest process of reasoning, be wrong. 

"Hence, from the very nature of things, there is 
absolutely no room in my heart for anything that 
smacks of sham, hypocrisy, mockery or make-believe. 
That is why, mother, that I can have nothing to do 
with any of the churches of to-day. They all purport 
to be the teachers and exemplars of the straight and 
narrow way that leads from earth to heaven. They 
claim to be followers of one to whom they refer as 
the meek and lowly Nazarene. 

"And yet, the competition for the position of mis- 
tress in the matter of hats and the various wearing 
apparel among the women, is not comparable to that 
existing among the congregations for the finest church 
building, finest pipe organ, finest choir and the most 
eloquent preacher. Then they resort to the meanest, 
lowest and most dishonest political trickery, in their 
mad efforts to obtain the high positions in their vari- 
ous societies. Besides, there is a loathsome competi- 
tion among the evangelists as to who can report the 
largest number of additions. And in this, they are 
encouraged by the congregations who make their calls 
and compensations in keeping with the number of 
additions reported. I tell you the thing is wrong. 
It is wrong in principle. It is a sham and a fraud, 
for, by so doing, they profess one thing and do an- 
other. 

"As for myself, what little time I am permitted to 
remain in this world, I shall place my time, my tal- 
ents, my means, my life, and my all upon the altar 

18 



ana mm it ^ijouid ts$ 



of sacrifice for the right. I shall relieve the suffer- 
ings of humanity to the extent of my ability. 

"Then, again, I don't think that I deserve any 
special praise for availing myself of the most favorable 
environments with which I have always been sur- 
rounded. Neither do I think that any man deserves 
special mention for simply using the talents that he 
possesses by nature, any more than he should for 
possessing a strong and powerful muscular system. 

"Last of all, I have determined not to bring my 
business home with me. I owe it to you, my aged 
parents, who have, by most strenuous lives, made so 
many and so great things possible for me. To me 
these successes are simply social privileges. Besides, 
this strong and powerful body of mine needs more 
exercise than it can get in the office and court-room. 
That is why I have my splendid gymnasium in such 
close proximity to my sleeping apartments, and that 
is why I became the athletic star in my college days." 

During all this time, the mother ceased to eat at 
all, and the father was manifestly so absorbed, as well 
as pleased, that he only munched occasionally, while 
both their coffees became so cold that they had to 
replenish them from the steaming pot on the stove, 
after he was gone. And for some minutes, old Ben, 
having hitched Roanoke to the buggy and appeared 
in the driveway, stood in front of him, whip in hand, 
to keep the dogs off of him, and muttered to himself : 
"Marse Nev* mus' be hungry to-night; he sho' is." 

Finishing his dinner, he kissed his mother good-bye, 
waved to the Governor, and, with the strong, lithe, 
quick movement, peculiar to himself, he was in the 
yard; a word to the dogs, Roanoke and Ben, and he 
was in the buggy and gone, with Ben, who had eaten 
his evening meal before hitching up, crouching humbly 
at his side. 



19 



OTjat tfte Cfturcf) 30 



"Mother," said the Governor, when all was quiet 
and they were seated once more in their comfortable 
chairs on the front porch of the elegant home, "do 
you know that that plain, unaffected talk that Nevin 
made at the table this evening contained more food 
for thought than any I ever heard? It was principle 
from beginning to end. It was the very heart, soul, 
life and spirit of all things essential. It was both a 
revelation and an inspiration to me for the reason 
that, while it was not clear, still I thought and felt 
that I could see a faint glimmering of the only thing 
that I have always lacked, couched in the principles 
to which he has pledged his great and promising life. 
And, while he may not see it himself, yet I believe that 
as he evolves the principles enunciated at the table to- 
night, this necessary something also will be made to 
stand out in the light so clearly that, old as I am, I 
may yet be able to see it and remove the only bitter 
dreg from my cup of happiness before I die." 



CHAPTER III. 

A MISSION OF MERCY. 

Judge Gross (as the people now insisted on calling 
him, in honor of his ability and success, and in spite 
of the fact that he would not allow them to elect him 
to the judgeship, because his father had come to be 
universally known as Governor Gross) sat in his 
office early one morning, hastily glancing over his 
mail before removing his hat. 

While thus absorbed, he realized, without looking 
up, the presence of some one, and when he did look 
up, Miss Emily Church stood before him modestly. 
She was large enough, perfect in form, beautifully 

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and mm M %f)oulu 15e 



but not extravagantly gowned, her sensitive lips stood 
slightly apart as if in the attitude of speaking, thereby 
showing two rows of teeth as beautifully and as per- 
fectly arranged as the choicest pearls by an artist, 
while it would seem that she wore the only hat that 
could have been selected that would blend so perfectly 
with the splendid mass of most delicately kept blonde 
hair, which lay in great w r aves as it parted from her 
intelligent brows. Then, to complete the picture, she 
had the most charming, great blue eyes that he had 
ever seen. To the Judge, she was a "dream." 

When he laid his hat aside, and slowly lifted his 
giant form and stood at full height before her, and, 
at the same time, let the light of his countenance, 
through his great mellow gray eyes, rest upon her, for 
the moment she felt overwhelmed. She felt as if she 
had just received some most valuable present, or had 
had some very much desired blessing pronounced upon 
her. 

As she looked into that strong but tenderest of 
faces, she felt that if she were at any time in immi- 
nent danger, or was being pursued by some deadly 
enemy, on that great breast and within those strong 
arms would be her most certain place of perfect 
safety. For, in her imagination, she could see those 
tender, loving eyes changed to points of burnished 
steel, at the approach of a deadly enemy. 

And he could not help but feel her confidence in 
him, for there she stood, apparently as passive and as 
perfectly resigned as a wife in the presence of a lov- 
ing husband, or a child in the presence of a devoted 
father. 

And, as she looked upon him, she could not keep 
from thinking that if he were a husband, he would 
love his wife with all the affection of his nature ; and, 
if he had children, they would always run to meet 

21 



mm tfte CfjurcJ) 1$ 



him ; that he would carry one, if not two, in his arms, 
and, when in the house, however many he might have, 
they would all want to get upon his lap, but some of 
them failing, would lean against him. 

For a moment they stood, he looking down gra- 
ciously upon her and she looking up confidently into 
his face. Then she broke the spell by saying : "Have 
I the honor of standing in the presence of Judge 
Gross?" 

Then, with all the grace and dignity of which he 
was capable, he replied: "You have." 

"Well, Your Honor, I have come on a mission of 
mercy. I have never had the pleasure of seeing you 
before that I can now recall, and I feel quite certain 
that if I ever had, I could recall it without difficulty." 

At this stealthy acknowledgment of her favorable 
impression of him, at first sight, and the help that 
she might reasonably expect of him, he unconsciously 
leaned just a little farther forward, and, without any 
affectation whatever, he gave her one of those fear- 
dispelling, confidence-inspiring smiles so much appre- 
ciated by those who knew him, which, for a moment, 
almost caused her to forget her real mission, but, 
regaining herself, she continued: 

"And I have always heard Judge Gross spoken of as 
a man of mercy and ready to help in every time of 
real need." 

"If that is my reputation without, I am perfectly 
satisfied and abundantly rewarded for all of my 
efforts. For, if I know my own heart, my purpose 
is to solve the problem of human life and to relieve 
suffering humanity." 

Just then a number of men appeared at the office 
door to see him on business; but, seeing the Judge 
showing this woman attentions that he had never 

22 



3nD mm M S&oulli 15e 



shown any other, after studying the situation for a 
few moments, turned, like the score or more who had 
preceded them, and walked away. 

"Now, will you kindly tell me your mission this 
morning ?" said the Judge. 

"Mrs. Jenkins and family, at 1043 West Twenty- 
eighth Street, are in dire distress, and they need you" 

"And she requested you to come and tell me?" 

"No, sir, she did not." 

"Acquaintances then of long standing, I presume?" 

"No, sir, I am not acquainted with the family 
at all." 

"Members of the same church or lodge, perhaps?" 

"We are not." 

"Then you have been delegated by some committee, 
who do know them, to come and solicit my help." 

"No, Your Honor; I am not sent by any com- 
mittee." 

"Then why have you come?" 

"Judge Gross, knowing that you are the most busy 
man in all this city, if I myself could have rendered 
the necessary assistance, or if I could have thought 
of any one else upon whom I could have relied, I 
should never have troubled you, but her difficulty is 
deep and mysterious, and I fear that it is such as will 
tax the powers of your great mind." 

"Please let me understand you ; have you voluntarily 
come of your own accord? How can that be?" 

"Why, Judge Gross, it is my business. It is my 
meat and my drink. It is the pleasure and happiness 
of my life. And, take such out of my life, and I would 
not want to live a day." 

"Bless my soul, lady, do you know that you are the 
very embodiment, the personification of all of my 
study, of all my addresses, and of all my purposes in 

23 



OTjat tfje Cfturci) 1$ 



life? And if the churches were consistently engaged 
in just such work, then they would stand forth as 
monumental powers for good and for good only. But, 
as it is, they say and do not, while you do and say 
not." 

"By virtue of what you have just said, I take cour- 
age, and really feel that I can accomplish much more 
in the world. It was so kind in you to say so much, 
and I know, too, that it all came from your great sym- 
pathetic heart." 

This last expression almost brought tears to the 
strong man's eyes. And, if there ever had been any 
hardness in his nature, it was all gone now. And he 
said, in as charming and sympathetic a tone as she 
had ever heard: "Your mission here this morning 
has not been in vain. I will call at once and do all 
that is in my power to relieve the family." 

"It is so kind in you," she said. 

And, looking steadily into his large, expressive eyes, 
while he looked with the same intense earnestness 
into hers, she put forth her beautiful, ungloved hand, 
and, in as sweet and appreciative a voice as he had 
ever heard, said : 

"Good-bye, Judge Gross." 

He seized her hand gently, then almost madly, yet 
softly pressed it, and, in spite of himself, affection- 
ately, which neither could help but understand. 

What a picture ! The meeting of two kindred 
spirits! Spirits with the same object and aim in life! 
Spirits intended for companions and co-workers! 

He reluctantly relinquished his hand grasp, as he 
said : "Good-bye." 

And she was gone, but as she passed out at the 
door, she turned and gave him a parting glance, and, 
in his fevered imagination, he thought that he dis- 
covered a slight but affectionate smile. To save his 

24 



anu mm it mhouin nst 



life, he could not refrain from going to the window 
and watching her just as far as he could see her. 

"Was there ever a more beautiful form? Was 
there ever a more noble nature in the world ?" he was 
saying to himself until she disappeared from sight. 
And the moment that he lost sight of her, he was dis- 
tressed beyond measure. 

"Was it a dream? Am I in a stupor? Where am 
I, anyway? She is my ideal. We talked a great deal 
together and expressed ourselves fully to each other 
and found that we are of the same mind, heart, soul 
and spirit; yet, I have no idea who she is. I never 
asked her her name. I might find out at the Jenkins's 
who she is, but she said they are not acquainted. 
What will I do — what can I do ? I have never heard 
of a similar instance. If the Jenkins trouble is any 
more mysterious than this, then it is highly problemati- 
cal whether I shall be able to solve it. If possible, 
however, I must, in some way, ascertain who she is." 

At the same time, her mind also was not inactive. 
She, too, was saying to herself: "I just can't under- 
stand it! If any one had told me that I could have 
appeared in the presence of that wonderful man and 
felt as much at ease as I did, I could not have believed 
it. He certainly is the grandest specimen of the race 
that I have ever seen. But there was something about 
him that completely dispelled all embarrassment. 

"Then he expressed himself to me, not only kindly, 
but affectionately. I wonder if he expresses himself 
that way to others? I do hope not. Oh, but if he 
were only a Christian, he would be my ideal. But 
what troubles me more than anything else is, that it 
is the failure of church members to live up to what 
they profess, that has kept him from investigating the 
claims of Christianity. I cannot help but believe that 
the intelligent preaching of Brother Guide, our minis- 

25 



Mjat m Cfturci) 1$ 



ter, and the work of our congregation will appeal to 
his honest heart and intelligent mind, if we can ever 
prevail upon him to come under their influence." 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE IDEAL CONGREGATION. 

Many years ago, Elder Guide appeared in the city 
of Bidwell, as a minister of the Gospel of Christ. 

He said, in his first discourse: "J am determined 
to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. I shall 
speak where the Bible speaks, and keep silent where 
the Bible is silent/' 

These were his announcements at his first meeting, 
which he held in an old store building on Bond 
Street. 

"Oh, yes," said Brice Malone, the champion infidel 
of that rather out-of-the-way part of the city, "I have 
heard that before. In fact, that is what they all say, 
but I have never seen one of them live up to his 
promise, yet. And all I have to say is, that if all of 
the churches would live up to what they profess, there 
would not be nearly so many infidels in the world as 
there are. I know that I, for one, would not be, for 
I must say that what they profess, in my judgment, is 
one of the grandest things on this earth." 

This he said after Elder Guide had closed his meet- 
ing for the evening. But, to his utter astonishment, 
in response to his statement, the preacher replied: 

"What you have said is all true — every word of it. 
And I deplore the present condition of things as much 
as you possibly can. And I am determined, to the 
extent of my ability, and to the extent of the greatest 
possible influence that I may be able to exert, through 

26 



ami mm %t ^ijouid is* 



the teaching of the Scriptures, to bring about the con- 
dition of things that you suggest. Of course, not 
simply because you suggest it, but because the Bible 
teaches it." 

This was not what Brice expected. He expected 
him to do what most all other ministers had done; 
that is, fly at him angrily and abuse the infidels by 
saying that they were all dishonest. Elder Guide, 
by his wise course, gained an important victory for 
the cause of Christ right there at the beginning of his 
work. For not only would Malone himself come back 
to hear him, but he would bring others with him. Be- 
sides, his good words about the minister and the posi- 
tion that he occupied, would largely disarm them and 
relieve their minds of whatever prejudice they might 
have against him and his teaching, before they came. 

It was not many years until the truth had prevailed 
to such an extent that Brice Malone and others who 
had obeyed the gospel, together with Elder Guide, 
were enabled to erect just such a meeting house as 
they wanted and just where they wanted it. 

The location was selected and the building planned 
with one single object in view; that is, to lead men, 
women, and responsible children to Christ and salva- 
tion, and thereby honor, glorify and magnify the name 
of their God. 

When the building was completed, all who passed 
by would say, "How sensible." For it was just such 
a building as would neither provoke criticism because 
too expensive, nor would it provoke remarks because 
not sufficiently expensive. 

When Elder Guide announced his theme for his 
first discourse in the new building, how perfectly in 
keeping it was with all of his teachings and life thus 
far. It was, "The Ideal Congregation." 

He took as his Scripture references: Luke 24 49, 

27 



C&i)at tfje Cfjutcft 30 



"And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon 
you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye 
be endued with power from on high." 

Acts i : 8. "But ye shall receive power, after that 
the Holy Spirit is come upon you ; and ye shall be wit- 
nesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and 
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth/' 

Acts 1 : 14. "These all continued with one accord 
in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary 
the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." 

Acts 2:41. "Then they that gladly received his 
word were baptized; and the same day there were 
added unto them about three thousand souls." 

Acts 2:42. "And they continued steadfastly in the 
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of 
bread, and in prayer." 

In his discourse, he emphasized the following 
points : 

1. The fact that the disciples were together, and 
not only together, but together in one place. 

"I have known," said he, "congregations of pro- 
fessed worshippers to actually disband, not because the 
members were the most wicked on earth, not because 
they had finally concluded to give up their Christianity 
entirely, not because they had finally concluded that 
the whole thing was a farce and a mockery, but appar- 
ently for no other reason than that they could not 
prevail upon the members to attend the public services, 
or who would not come together." 

2. They were of one accord in one place. 
"Members should a thousand times better remain 

apart rather than come together to wrangle, quarrel 
and contend with each other," he said. 

3. He called special attention to the fact that all 
the early Christians, instead of wrangling, spent the 
time in prayer. 

28 



anD TOat M ^DouID 16e 



4. He mentioned as a very important point, that 
they were there, not simply because they were com- 
manded to be there, but because they were zvaiting for 
the fulfillment of the Father's promise that He would 
send them the Holy Spirit. 

He then called attention to the natural and legiti- 
mate results of such a meeting. 

1. He said that they received the fulfillment of 
the promise, which he insisted they would not have 
done, had they not been together in the right place, 
in the proper state of mind, spending the time in the 
right way, and looking in faith for the fulfillment of 
the promise. 

2. By virtue of the power which they received, 
through the fulfillment of that promise, they not only 
knew what to preach, but were enabled to preach it 
in all of the languages and dialects of earth. For 
Jews and devout men out of every nation under 
heaven, were present on that occasion, and all heard 
the gospel in their respective tongues, wherein they 
were born. 

3. Because of their ability to preach, through the 
fulfillment of this promise, about three thousand souls 
were converted to Christ in one day. 

4. The brethren were so strengthened that they 
continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fel- 
lowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. 

"Now," said Elder Guide, "we have the promise of 
that which is just as necessary for us to-day as was 
the baptism of the Holy Spirit to them at that time, 
and we will receive the fulfillment of the promise made 
to us upon no other conditions than that we come to- 
gether, with one accord, in one place, spend our time 
in prayer, and look in faith for the promised 
blessings. 

"Besides, as the result of such meetings and such 

29 



OTjat tfje €buub M 



preparation, we will know the truth, how to preach 
it, souls will be converted and the brethren strength- 
ened. 

"We differ mentally and morally as much as we do 
physically, in many instances; hence, we should not 
expect the same degree of efficiency and moral worth 
in all. And just as the well members of the physical 
body, presided over by the head, will do all that they 
can to restore the afflicted member to health, so when 
the members of the body of Christ of the Church be- 
come afflicted with sin, it is the duty of all the other 
members, presided over by Christ, the great head of 
the Church, to do all that they can to save the mem- 
bers that are overtaken in faults. And just as a physi- 
cal member should never be amputated until its re- 
maining a member of the body will endanger the life 
of the entire body, so a member of the church should 
never be cut off, unless his remaining will endanger 
the life, power and influence of the entire congre- 
gation." 

It is not worth while to outline another discourse, 
for all that followed were in perfect harmony with 
the above. And while Elder Guide is growing white 
in his work, the congregation, as such, has never 
swerved from the spirit of this first discourse. As a 
result, all who come under its influence are favorably 
impressed. They go away saying, "Why, if all church 
people were like these, there would be no occasion 
for criticism. And it would be next to impossible to 
keep people out of the church." 



30 



3nO mm M ^ftould 15e 



CHAPTER V. 

THE STORY RELATED. 

"Mission of mercy/' and "They need you !" rang" in 
Judge Gross' mind all that day, to the extent that, at 
times, in spite of all that he could do, he would appear 
absent-minded. And, when alone, he could close his 
eyes and see the beautiful young lady who had come 
on the mission of mercy, standing before him as dis- 
tinctly in all her outlines as she had that day. He 
could see her every feature, the expression of her 
eyes, and hear the very intonation of her words. 

"What does all this mean?" he would say to him- 
self, as he walked to and fro across the room. "No 
one ever made such an impression upon me before. 
Then, to think that I took the time of my clients to 
reveal all my plans and purposes in life to a stranger, 
and a woman, at that. 

"True, she told me her plans, too, but it was be- 
cause I catechised her in order that I might the better 
understand why she was on her errand of mercy. 
But I had told her my purposes in my life before this, 
and without her asking. 

"Am I beside myself? My mind is all in a whirl! 
Well, why not be honest with one's self as with 
others? It makes no difference who I am, what I 
have done, what I will do, or what the people will 
think about it. To be honest with myself, I must con- 
fess that I saw in that beautiful woman the comple- 
tion of my life's happiness. But, who is she, and 
where does she reside? Who knows? I must, by 
some means, find out, for I have not the heart to work 
much longer without her." 

On his way home that evening he was somewhat 

3* 



OTmt m €huub %% 



passive, absent-minded in his recognition of those who 
bowed so cordially to him. The shadows were rapidly 
lengthening on one side of the street, while on the 
other side the sun's rays were increasing in power, 
because becoming more direct. He felt inclined to 
walk in the shadow, as more in keeping with the per- 
plexities of his own heart. 

Passing the veranda, he waved his hand and said: 
"Father," and receiving the familiar response, 
"Son." He then walked to the rear and called to 
Ben. 

"Here I is, Marse Nevin," said Ben. 

As he stood with both hands lifted high above his 
head, to keep Dan and Joe from taking running 
shoots and jumping high enough to lick them, he 
managed to call loud enough, in spite of their loud 
barking, to make old Ben hear him say: 

"I want you to drive me away out on West Twenty- 
eighth Street, after dinner." 

"Sho', Marse Nevin, yo' hoss will be here waitin' 
fo' yo' all." 

Entering the rear door, his mother met him and 
he placed his arms around her and kissed her fore- 
head. While he was making preparations for dinner, 
the mother went to the veranda and said: 

"Father, you notice Nevin at the dinner table, and 
see if you don't think that there is something troubling 
him." 

Of course, the Governor took it for granted that 
it was simply the mother-love that was ever alive to 
all the wants, whims and foibles, real or imaginary, 
of an only son. But, upon entering the dining-room, 
the Governor's keen, observant eye saw that the 
mother was right, and as quickly inquired : 

"Son, what is it that troubles you?" 

"There is a family on West Twenty-eighth Street 

3» 



ana mm it %bouin r&t 



in deep distress, the nature of which I will not know 
until I go to see them after dinner/' 

"But, son, is there not something back of all that? 
For your business acquaints you with trouble all the 
time, and, really, I never knew it to make such an 
impression upon you before," said the Governor. 

Then, with the frankness of an only son, who had 
never known what it was to keep anything from his 
parents, he said: 

"No, it is not the family's trouble that weighs upon 
my mind, but the way in which I learned of their 
trouble, or, rather, the messenger that brought me 
the information." 

"Who is the messenger?" inquired the Governor. 

"Ah, father, that is exactly what troubles me. I 
don't know who she is, and I am afraid I shall never 
find out." 

"But, son, why should that make any difference?" 

He sat for a while as if to let the whole scene pass 
vividly before his mind, and then exclaimed : 

"But, father, if you could only have seen her, as 
she stood before me, the impersonation of beauty and 
sweetness, and heard her say in a most charming 
voice, 'I am on a mission of mercy — the family at 1043 
West Twenty-eighth Street needs you.' I was so 
absorbed in her and her errand, that I let her go 
without learning her name, and that is what troubles 
me. 

The parents did not feel to treat the matter lightly, 
for they knew that their son never dealt with any- 
thing in that way; that he never surfaced anything; 
that he never spent a moment dealing with anything 
but realities. 

On his way, once in the outskirts of the city, he 
could hear the chickens cawing, talking and quarrel- 
ling within their roosts, in their endeavor to settle 

33 



Mfftt tU Cfturcfi Us 



down for the night. The boys were bringing their 
cows in from the nearby pasture fields. The shadows 
were deepening as they increased in length. The sun, 
in the west, was collecting its last rays of light pre- 
paratory to retiring for the night. And the moon, 
in the east, was so pale that one could scarcely see 
her face. 

"How perfectly all these things blend with the deep 
and mysterious trouble of the people yonder, the ap- 
parently blind, stumbling effort that I am about to 
make to relieve them, and the utter darkness in which 
I grope my way in my effort to find out the name of 
that beautiful angel of mercy, who came to me of her 
own accord, without compensation, or, even knowing 
the people in trouble. 

" Then, Your Honor, you will help them/ I can hear 
her say. Help them, most certainly I will, if every 
case on the docket has to be postponed, or tried by 
others. Even if there is not one dollar or one particle 
of glory in it, I appreciate it infinitely more, under 
the circumstances, than I would a national or an inter- 
national case that would bring me thousands of dol- 
lars, and place my name upon the pen of every editor, 
and on the tongue of every reading person in the 
civilized world." 

Old Ben, crouching at his side, noticed that his 
master was very much absorbed in thought, if not in 
a positive stupor. But he said nothing. 

"Now, Mrs. Jenkins," said he, after having intro- 
duced himself and explained to her just why he was 
there, and how it had all come about. "If I am to 
help you, I want to know all the facts in the case, as 
nearly as you can possibly relate them." 

"Judge Gross, you can see yourself that we are ex- 
ceedingly poor. No family is poorer than we. So 
that we can promise you absolutely nothing." 

34 



and mm It Sftotiili TBe 



"That is a matter of utmost indifference," said he, 
with apparent impatience. 

"Well, my husband is one of the best men whom I 
ever saw. In this, I feel quite certain that all who 
know him will bear me out. He heard, some time ago, 
where he could get some good land on time and on 
such terms as would enable him to pay for it. And, 
feeling that he would necessarily have to do something 
of the kind in order to provide for his large and rap- 
idly increasing family, he went to investigate it. 

"But, on his return, he had to pass through the 
Boncreft community, where there have been so many 
holdups and robberies lately. And, having but a little 
expense money, he did not want to be robbed. So, 
when he started, he put a pistol in his pocket for his 
own protection. He emptied one chamber when he 
killed a rabbit for his supper, one evening. The next 
morning, soon after he started on his journey (he was 
on his way home then), he met a terribly frightened 
horse, with a bridle and saddle, running at top 
speed. 

"Husband, supposing that the horse had thrown his 
rider, and possibly crippled, or killed him, being of 
a tender and sympathetic nature, hurried along to 
see if he could render him any assistance. He had 
not gone more than a half mile, when he saw the man 
lying in the brush by the side of the road, with a 
bullet-hole above his right eye, and a knife still stick- 
ing directly in his heart, with the warm blood run- 
ning, and the man yet moving. 

"Husband went to remove the knife, but just as he 
placed his hand on it, he heard the clicks of guns and 
the loud curses of men, swearing that they needed 
no law to reach his case, for they had caught him 
in the very act. They knocked him and cuffed him 
around for some time, and when they took his pistol 

35 



Mat tfie e&utcf) 1$ 



away from him, and saw that there was one chamber 
empty, they were determined to kill him on the spot. 

"But they finally decided that it would be mean for 
so few of them to have all of the fun to themselves, 
as they said that they wanted as many as possible to 
witness the killing of so cold-blooded a murderer. 

"He told them that all he wanted was time to prove 
his innocence. But that so exasperated them, that 
from their words and actions, he had every reason to 
believe that his time had fully come. But, for some 
reason, they still spared his life. 

"Now, those men heard the shot and heard the run- 
ning of the horse, and they themselves hastened to 
the scene for exactly the same purpose that my hus- 
band did. But, oh, my poor husband unfortunately 
appeared upon the scene first, and took hold of the 
knife at that, the most unfortunate of all moments. 

"And, Judge Gross, those men honestly think that 
my husband committed the deed, and I don't see how 
they could believe otherwise. If they had appeared 
first, in all probability, they would have done the very 
thing that he was about to do, but they would have 
had witnesses to their removing the knife, whereas my 
husband had none who saw the man's condition before 
he laid his hand upon the knife. Knowing my hus- 
band as I do and have for so long, I know that there 
is not a man on this earth more incapable of commit- 
[ting such a heinous crime." 

She then burst into a flood of tears, and said: 

"But now they have tried, convicted and sentenced 
my dear, good, innocent husband to hang, and he is 
now lying there in the jail, helplessly and hope- 
lessly awaiting the day of execution. How can we 
ever stand it? The children always loved him so 
dearly. And now, every night before we retire, we 
get together and weep and mourn and cry aloud un- 

36 



ann mm it ^souid *®t 



til, through sheer exhaustion, we are compelled to 
retire for the night, and then we all cry ourselves 
to sleep. 

"Oh, my friend, there appears to us to be nothing 
but midnight darkness and blackness forever. I don't 
know who told you to come. I don't know why you 
should come, for I cannot see any chance on earth to 
save him, for the evidence is all against him. The 
only evidence that I have that he is not guilty is that 
of my own bleeding heart, and that will not be ad- 
mitted, much less credited, in court. Oh, we are 
ruined, we are ruined, we are ruined !" 

With this last outburst of grief, she swooned away 
and remained in that condition for a long time. All 
that they could get out of her was, "Oh, my poor 
husband, my poor husband I" 

During all this time the Judge sat absorbed in 
thought, apparently oblivious to everything that was 
transpiring, even of the presence and weeping of the 
family. 

When she had fully recovered from her paroxysm 
of grief, he, as if arousing out of a stupor, said in 
his deep, rich, but kind and sympathetic voice : 

"May I see Mrs. Jenkins alone?" 

As he said this, he lifted his powerful form in 
their midst, and, while all was kindness, still they 
recognized authority and determination in his very 
posture and tone of voice. They recognized him as 
a friend — one who had not come for their money, 
but had come, if possible, to do them good. Also 
they were impressed with the fact that if there was 
any one who could do anything for them, he could, 
and further, if there was anything that could be done, 
he would. When all were out except the mother, 
he said : 

"Mrs. Jenkins, your long and, indeed, pitiful story 

37 



OTat m Cftutcf) 1$ 



has explained some things to me that have been a 
profound puzzle hitherto. For the present, suffice it 
to say that your husband is not guilty, will not hang, 
and the guilty will be apprehended/' 

She sprang at him to throw her arms about his 
neck, and was about to shout for joy, but with up- 
lifted hand he said calmly : 

''Make no demonstration and, whatever you do, 
keep what I have said to you absolutely to yourselves, 
otherwise we may fail of results. Now, only one 
question, do you have any idea who the young lady 
is who reported your case to me?" 

"I do not, but if you desire I will do all that I can 
to find out," supposing, of course, that he wanted her 
testimony in the case. 

"By so doing you will show me a great kindness," 
said he. 

Then he hurried out and found faithful Ben 
waiting patiently for him. Having heard the case 
and seen the solution, but especially having had the 
promise of assistance in ascertaining the identity of 
the beautiful messenger, he was greatly lightened 
in heart. He even apologized to old Ben for having 
kept him waiting so long, talked to Roanoke on his 
way home, observed the beauty of the moon, patted 
the horse and dogs when they got home, and bade 
old Ben good-night. 



CHAPTER VI. 

AN ACCIDENT. 

When the congregation to which Elder Guide min- 
istered came to organize years ago, after having stud- 
ied closely the Scriptural qualifications of elders and 

38 



anti wmt It ^bouID -Be 



deacons, that they should be full of the Holy Spirit, apt 
to teach, husbands of one wife, of good report and 
successful in rearing their own children — all, to a 
member, said: 

'Tor elders, Brothers Guide, Graves and Guard; 
for deacons, Brothers Workman, Helper, Wright and 
Hand." 

These men were selected because of their special 
and peculiar Scriptural qualifications and the elders' 
special aptness to teach. When the minister was away 
conducting evangelistic meetings in destitute parts 
of the city, it was no task but a genuine pleasure for 
the congregation to sit and listen to the beautiful 
unfoldings of the Scriptures by the elders. They all 
believed, taught and practised that the Christian peo- 
ple are the "salt of the earth," that Christ came to 
seek and to save the lost, and that to be Christ-like 
they, too, would have to do the same thing. 

That they would have to visit the sick and afflicted, 
the widows and orphans — administering to their 
wants, if they would have pure and undefiled religion 
before God the Father. 

About 10 a.m. one day the governor saw the am- 
bulance dash past his residence at an unusually ter- 
rific rate, and in a very short time return with a young 
man who had been struck by a runaway team and 
thrown for quite a distance, giving him a severe 
strain and wound in the knee. 

They took him to the Receiving Hospital, had the 
knee dressed, and then sent him to his own room, in 
another part of the city, where he and a young friend, 
both from the East recently, were "baching." 

When they had lifted him from the stretcher, laid 
him on his bed and were about to leave, a nicely 
dressed, smooth-shaven gentleman, with iron gray 
hair and a strikingly kind face, said: 

39 



What tfte Cfturcft 30 



"Go right along ; I'll remain until his friend comes." 

The young man was in agony all day. He appeared 
almost delirious at times. The gentleman gave him 
water, fanned him and helped him when he tried 
to move. By and by the other young man came, not 
knowing what had happened. When he entered the 
room, he was astonished beyond measure to find his 
friend in bed. 

"Why, Bill, what in thunder is the matter?" he 
asked. 

The injured man looked at the stranger, as if he 
desired that he should state the case. This he did 
in a kind, modulated tone. 

"A runaway team," said he, "struck him at ten 
o'clock this forenoon and gave him a very severe 
wound in the knee. I was at the Receiving Hospital 
and saw them dress it, and have been with him all 
day. And now, if you will kindly excuse me for a 
few minutes, I have a very soft pillow that I used 
when I was suffering with rheumatism, and I am cer- 
tain that it will be the very thing for him to rest his 
knee upon. I will go and get it." 

He was gone but a very short time, when he re- 
turned with a pillow that looked for all the world as 
if it had been made for the purpose. The young man 
seemed to rest easier from the time that his limb was 
placed upon it. 

"Now," said the stranger to the young man's room- 
mate, "to wait on him while he is suffering so much 
is all that you can do. You will have no time to pre- 
pare anything for both to eat. So I will send your 
dinners to you." 

"Oh, but you are under no obligations to do that," 
said the young man. 

"Oh, yes, I am, and that is exactly the way that 

40 



anu mm it ^uouid jh 



I would want you to do by me if our conditions were 
reversed." 

As they were eating the meal that had been brought 
them at the proper time by a bright, intelligent, busi- 
ness-looking young man, the well man remarked to 
the sick one, whose pain, for the time being, had al- 
most entirely left him : "If they had asked me to 
have written out our orders for just what we wanted 
for this meal, they could not have suited us any 
better." 

"That is just what I was thinking myself," said the 
sick man. 

The next morning, as he was preparing the table, 
in came the same young man with a most enticing 
breakfast. 

"Look here, I insist upon it that you should not 
do so much for us. For we are nothing but strang- 
ers to you, and you don't know but what we are out- 
laws and have drifted in here from — nobody knows 
where, as fugitives from justice." 

"That is true. We do not know who you are. It 
is also true that you need help now because of this 
unavoidable accident. Your friend has not only to 
suffer pain, but the loss of time, and may meet a 
doctor's bill. And you have to lose your time to wait 
upon him. That is not all. I am certain that, failing 
to do just what we are now doing for you and pro- 
pose to do until you are both able to work, is what 
makes outlaws in many instances." 

"Do you know," said the sick man, not suffering 
much at this time, "that is the reason given by most 
every man for his outlawry ? But this is the first time 
that I ever heard it given by the other side. You 
are certainly right, my friend." 

When he was gone, Jones, the well man, said: 
"Well, I'll be blowed! Davis, who the dickens are 

4* 



OTmt m Cfturc!) 30 



these people anyway? Do you know that a few acts 
of kindness like all this would fill me so full of pious 
sentiment that I'll be dog-goned if I don't believe that 
I would quit swearing?" 

"Jones, I know that if there were more such acts, 
the world would be a great deal better off," said Davis. 

Later in the day Davis' knee was in such a rack 
of pain that he was almost delirious again. Just at 
this time a rap was heard. Jones opened the door, 
and a very imposing-looking personage stepped in. 
He wore a long-tailed coat, buttoned in front, bore 
a silk hat on his left arm, and held a gold-headed 
cane in his right hand. His mustache was waxed 
and twisted back against his nose. His hair was 
parted so exactly in the center that a blind louse would 
have had no difficulty whatever in following the 
broad white road leading over the top of his head. 

"My name is Dr. Fop, pastor of the Church. 

I heard of your affliction, and I thought that I would 
drop in and see you. Would you like to have me pray 
with you before I go, as I have not long to remain, 
and have a number of calls to make this afternoon?" 

"Let me speak to you," said Jones, beckoning to him 
and starting toward the door. When they were out 
in the hallway, he said, "He is suffering greatly, and 
I don't think that he needs prayer just now so much as 
he needs relief from his pain." 

"All right, just as you say, sir! Good-day!" 

He thundered down the steps and walked rapidly 
away, feeling that his dignity had received quite an 
affront. When Jones returned to the room, the other 
man was too delirious to share his scorn, but the 
storm raged in his own breast just the same. 

"The damned old hypocrite! Come into a sick 
room all togged up after that fashion, and swelling 
fit to burst with egotism! Wanted to pray! Hugh, 

42 



9tm mm it §&ouiti -Be 



the Devil himself could offer just as acceptable pray- 
ers as that man. Call that Christianity? A thousand 
times, no ! If the Devil don't get such men, I don't 
see any use in having a devil. " 

An hour or two later, while Davis was still in 
such agony that it seemed to Jones that the sick man 
would have to scream, a sharp rap was heard again at 
the door. It sounded as if it were not answered 
quickly the person would be gone, and they would 
not see who it was. When he did open the door, a 
little woman stood there so nervous and restless that 
she was actually walking around — could not stand 
still. 

"We heard that there is a very sick man here, and 
the flower committee of our church appointed me to 
bring you this bouquet." Then, leaning forward with 
all the style and stiffness imaginable, she offered him 
the nosegay. 

"You tell your damned committee to take their 
flowers and go to hell ! It is not flowers that we need 
just now." 

She was so shocked that she almost dropped in her 
place, tears came to her eyes, and she hurried away, 
wondering in her heart if they were the most wicked 
men on earth, or if their committee had made a mis- 
take. 

Soon thereafter the neatly dressed old gentleman, 
in company with another man, who was large, and 
had an intelligent, determined, but kindly face, 
touched the door lightly, because they had heard of 
the change in the young man's condition. And when 
the door was opened, they entered softly and, see- 
ing at a glance that he was much worse than they had 
anticipated, without saying a word, proceeded with 
the skill and deftness of physicians to alleviate his 
sufferings by loosening the bandages and applying 



OTjat tbt €bmtf) 1$ 



exactly the proper remedies. In a surprisingly short 
time his pain was gone, and the man, who had not 
had a minute's rest during the entire night, soon 
fell asleep. 

One day when Davis was entirely out of danger, 
and not suffering at all, some one rapped on the 
door gently, and before Jones could get to the door 
they heard, as they thought then and said later, the 
sweetest voice that ever greeted their ears, saying, 
"May I come in?" 

And, as if in a mad dash for the same goal, they 
both said at exactly the same instant, "Come in." 

A moment later as charming a specimen of the race 
as it had ever been their privilege to look upon stood 
before them with something delicately napkined in 
her right hand and a bouquet of most beautiful carna- 
tions in the other. And, in the same sweet voice that 
they had heard outside the door, she said: 

"We were very fortunate in our baking to-day, and, 
as we learned that you are very rapidly convalescing, 
we thought that you would both enjoy a nice cake." 

She then removed the napkin, which was as clean 
and white as snow, and placed a most appetizing 
angel-food cake on the table and, at the same time, 
without mentioning it, laid the bouquet by the side of 
it. As she did this, she said: 

"I do hope that you will both enjoy the cake. 
Good-by," and she was gone. 

They were both so overcome by the charm of the 
young lady and the beautiful gifts she had presented 
that in their anxiety to express their hearty appre- 
ciation of what she had done, they both muttered and 
blundered out something at the same time, and in 
such a way as to be utterly unintelligible, and so 
wholly out of keeping with the artistic, yet unstudied 
way in which she had performed her part that they 

44 



3nD mm It g>&oulD 15e 



both blushed for days after every time they would 
think about it. 

As she passed out at the door, Jones said : 

"Davis, this is the limit ! It is the climax of kind- 
ness ! And just to think of it, by people, too, who 
have never even asked us our names and have never 
volunteered their own. I am going to find out, if I 
can, who they are." 

He rushed out and down the steps as she was dis- 
appearing in the distance. 

"Say, partner/' said he to a strange man who was 
passing by, "who is that young lady you met, passing 
now around the corner yonder?" 

"Why, that is Miss Emily Church. I thought every- 
body knew her. Anyway, I know that all the sick, the 
poor, the needy and the troubled know her/' said he. 

"And can you tell me who the neatly dressed, gray- 
haired old gentleman is that has been coming to us 
ever since my partner got hurt?" 

"I haven't noticed him coming to see you, but from 
the description and the work in which he is engaged 
you can have reference to no other than Elder Guide, 
minister at the large, comfortable-looking church at 
the corner of Eighth and Hill streets. Miss Church 
is a member of that congregation. The minister, 
elders, deacons, men, women and the entire congrega- 
tion are engaged in that kind of work most all of the 
time." 

"But Miss Church, being a lady of large means, and 
not having to support herself, can and does devote 
more of her time to this kind of work than the others. 
In fact, she devotes most all of her time to her church 
work. I am not a Christian myself, and I belong to 
no church, but if I ever should become a Christian 
right there is where I would go." 

When Jones went back upstairs, he said: "Say, 

45 



OT)at tfje Cfturcft 3& 



Davis, hereafter you and I will have to modify our 
swearing, at least, to decent slang — except when we 
run afoul of these hypocritical preachers and church 
members. God may not condemn us for swearing at 
them a little, for the provocation is great, and no one 
knows this any better than God himself." 

"Why so?" said Davis. 

"Because I have learned all about it. Do you know 
who that kindly old gentleman is who remained with 
you the first day?" 

"I do not. I have often wondered, and I have 
thought several times that I would ask him his name. 
Who is he?" 

"Well, sir, he is the minister at that large church at 
Eighth and Hill streets. That gentleman who came 
with him is one of the elders, and that dream of a 
young lady is one of his members. She, being a lady 
of large means, devotes most all of her time to re- 
lieving the sufferings of humanity. And the entire 
church devotes as much time to this kind of work as 
they possibly can." 

"Christianity, then, the genuine article, the pure 
and unadulterated kind that does not let its left hand 
know what its right hand does, is at the bottom of this 
whole thing. So just as soon as you are able to 
creep right there we are going, although it has been 
so long since we were in a church house we may not 
know how to act." 

"Jones, that is exactly what we will do. Of course, 
they will recognize us, and we will join them in their 
efforts to relieve others, who happen to be unfortu- 
nate in the world." 

"That is what we will do," heartily responded 
Jones. "We will not wait for some one to come and 
call upon us, beg us and plead with us to help them, 
but we will do just like these people do. We will 

46 



ana mm it ^ouid n&t 



always be on the alert. We will go out and search 
diligently till we find, at least, some of the many peo- 
ple in this city who stand in so much need of just 
the kind of assistance that they have been giving us." 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE SECOND MEETING. 

"Mac" Hadden, a saloon-keeper who had accu- 
mulated quite a large amount of property, had been 
afflicted for years with what the doctors who he had 
consulted — and he had consulted many — called an 
incurable disease. But until recently he had hoped 
that he would get well. 

"If I had been an excessive drinker like some men 
I have known," he said, "then it might be as the 
doctors tell me. But while I have always drunk 
some, I have never drunk enough at any time to give 
disease of any kind any additional power over me." 

But now he has changed his mind. He sees things 
just as they are. He now not only thinks, but he 
knows that the time of his departure is at hand. Vir- 
tually feeling the jaws of death beginning to close 
upon him, he says : 

"Oh, if I only had my life to live over, I would 
not engage in the saloon business ! I would live an 
entirely different life! But what has been done has 
been done, and I have not the time to undo it, and 
perhaps could not if I did have the time." 

"The only thing left for me to do at this late 
hour is to make provision for the distribution of my 
property. And while I know that there are many 
competent men in this city, and I would not, for the 
.world, disparage any of them, still I must say that 

47 



tftimt tlje Cljurcf) 3$ 



in my judgment the most unerringly certain man 
whom I have ever met is Judge Nevin Gross. And 
it is he whom I desire to write my will for me." 

Miss Emily Church had been a frequent caller at 
this home since the time came when all could plainly 
see that the hour of dissolution was approaching fast 
for the head of this household, and hence the shad- 
ows of gloom and sorrow lengthened, moment by mo- 
ment. 

The fact that Mr. Hadden was what the world 
would call a wicked man and an unbeliever and en- 
gaged in a business of which Miss Church would most 
heartily disapprove, and the fact that his family was 
not at all religiously inclined, did not affect her in 
the least, when it came to the hour of affliction and 
sorrow. 

She came to comfort and console them exactly the 
same as if they had been active members of her 
own congregation. When asked how she could do 
it, she would always respond by asking: 

"How can I not do it, and still pose as a Christian 
and a follower of the meek and lowly Nazarene? 
In his day, he saw the necessity of this lesson, which 
he taught and emphasized in the most impressive way 
by asking, Tor if ye love them which love you, what 
reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the 
same?' Again, 'And if ye salute your brethren only, 
what do ye more than others? Do not even the pub- 
licans so?' " 

"Now, I think that to confine our sympathies and 
charities and help to those only of our immediate 
membership, would be as anti-Christian as anything 
could well be. It would contradict both the letter and 
the spirit of Christ's holy law, as well as the example 
he gave us. And it would place the professed fol- 
lowers of Christ on a dead level with the heathen 

48 



anD mm it ^aouiti ist 



and the publicans, for they both do exactly the same 
things. 

'This is what our entire congregation stands for. 
While Brother Guide never went into Mr. Hadden's 
place of business, because he did not believe in it 
(and told him so frequently), yet he came to see him, 
perhaps, as often as he did any of his members. Our 
elders also did the same thing and the members, as 
well. As a result, he has always taken pleasure in say- 
ing that he thought more of Elder Guide than any 
living man. He also insisted upon it that if the 
Bible be true, then the Eighth and Hill congregation 
is right." 

But, in spite of the fact that she was prompted 
by religious motives in all that she did, and was 
standing at this moment in the shadow of grief, her 
heart fairly leaped for joy when she overheard Mr. 
Hadden mention the name of Judge Gross. It 
grieved her to the heart that it was necessary to call 
anyone for the purpose for which he was about to 
be called. But if anyone had to be called, she re- 
joiced that it was to be the Judge, because she heartily 
agreed with Mr. Hadden with reference to his com- 
petency. Then, at the thought of seeing him once 
more, the privilege of looking into his eyes and hear- 
ing his voice again, tended to lift her above the shadow 
and the gloom into which she had voluntarily entered 
through sympathy for others. 

In due time, the Judge appeared, together with 
the notary public and those who were to be witnesses 
to the will. And as they entered the sick room, or, I 
may say, the death chamber, Judge Gross towering a 
full head above the others, approached the sick man — 
the personification of sympathy and anxious concern, 
which was greatly emphasized by his rich, deep and 
sympathetic voice. 

49 



mm m eimtci) m 



The scene affected Mrs. Hadden and Miss Church 
differently. While the wife was accustomed to grief 
— for she had many indisputable warnings that the 
end was approaching — still, her sorrow had not been 
quite so keen and crushing as it was at this time. It 
seemed that the presence of men to help him arrange 
his business in such a legal form as to enable him to 
leave it, not for a day, for a week, month, or even 
a year, but forever, emphasized the certainty and near- 
ness of his departure, and deepened her sorrow. 
Hence the sight of them threw her into paroxysms of 
grief. So that, she could not, by any force of her 
character, or will power, refrain from sending up one 
shriek after another. 

Not so with Miss Church. True, she was just as 
capable of grief as was Mrs. Hadden, but not being 
immediately connected with the sick by family ties, 
Miss Church would necessarily feel the grief much 
less keenly than the wife. 

Miss Church knowing that the end would come no 
sooner because of the presence of the men, could not 
let her mind rest upon the fact that what they were 
doing would save the wife a great deal of trouble 
and anxiety, after he was gone, and the first out-burst 
of grief had passed. Her mind thus divided, the 
young lady devoted more of the time to recognizing 
those present. 

While the Judge was arranging everything to the 
minutest detail, with that delicate precision, charac- 
teristic of those only who are authority upon all mat- 
ters pertaining to jurisprudence, the wife could be 
heard in her apartments shrieking and bemoaning her 
approaching loss. 

But beneath the loud crying, the Judge heard the 
unmistakable voice that first put him under a spell 
that, to him, scarcely seemed earthly. He was 

5° 



and mm it ^fjouin %t 



thrilled again as it uttered such sweet and sympa- 
thetic words as to sooth the distressed into perfect 
quiet at times. 

The sound of her voice, the prospect of seeing her 
and learning the name and address of one whom he 
feared that he had lost forever, had no tendency to 
unnerve him, but just the opposite. It seemed to 
nerve and encourage him for his task. 

The work being done, they all went out and all de- 
parted for their respective places of business, except 
the Judge himself. He deliberately walked to the 
weeping woman, took her by the hand and while his 
strong manly form trembled, he literally wept with 
her and spoke to her words fraught with the deepest 
meaning and the warmest sympathy ever poured into 
the sorrowing heart of a man or woman. 

As soon as he released her hand, she, apparently 
overcome by such unheard-of sympathy from such a 
man, fairly fled into another room, closing the door 
after her. 

He then turned to her, whose presence he felt and 
whom he knew would remain until he had fully ex- 
pressed his condolence to the heart-broken woman. 
As he took her not too small but delicate and well 
rounded hand in his, looking into the same rich ex- 
pressive blue eyes that he had once before and that 
he had feared for several days he never would again 
he said softly: 

"I was so afraid that I might never see you again. 
But I knew that if I ever should, it would be on some 
mission of mercy, for you told me so — and I believed 
you. That is your mission here to-night." 

"And I wanted so much to see you again, too. And 
I fully believed that if I should ever meet you per- 
sonally again, you would be engaged in doing some 

Si 



OT)at tfie Cfjutcl) 30 



kindly act. I appreciate so much your saying that 
you believed me." 

"I would not have you do otherwise than appre- 
ciate it for all this world. For, from the time that 
my eyes first fell upon you, I was powerless to resist 
you in any way. You will well remember that I told 
you all of my plans and purposes in life — a thing that I 
seldom ever tell even my most intimate acquaintances. 
But I seem to have made an exception of you and 
told you all, the very first time that I ever met you. 

"I was so completely absorbed in you that I let you 
go away without even learning your name and ad- 
dress, which fact has disturbed me more than any 
oversight that I ever made." 

"I am so sorry that I ever caused you a moment's 
pain," she said. 

"Then may I see you again?" he asked. 

She seeing the great man that he was, so solicitous, 
so helpless and so dependent upon her for relief, her 
reply was worthy of such a question by such a man. 
She said : 

"It would break my heart to know that this is to 
be the last time." 

Upon hearing her sweet reply, nothing but discre- 
tion, possessed by truly great men only, prevented 
him from taking her into his arms, pressing her to 
his heart and kissing her sweet lips, again and again 
and again. 

However, he did venture to say, "I doubt seriously 
whether there is another like you on the face of this 
earth. You stand alone in the moral realm, so far 
as my observation extends, and the ambition of my 
life is simply to emulate you as best I can. And oh, 
please do not leave me this time without giving me 
your name and address." 

52 



anB OT)at 3t ^fcoulD I5e 



"My name is Emily Church and I reside at 950 
Sunset Boulevard." 

"The diamond among all my treasures !" he said. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE MYSTERY SOLVED. 

Jenkins was still in jail awaiting the day of his 
execution. But he was greatly relieved when he 
heard that his case was not only in the hand of Judge 
Gross, but that the Judge had told his wife that he 
would clear him. That he was not the guilty one 
and that his confinement, instead of being a curse to 
any one, would be a blessing to the community. For 
it would enable them to solve another and deeper 
mystery in the city and apprehend the guilty parties. 

When the proper day, hour and moment came, 
four of the most experienced and daring officers in 
all the city stepped, by pairs, into two great stores in 
different parts of the city, walked straight to the 
proprietors, who received them with all of the suavity 
of experienced and successful business men. 

But, as one officer in each case began to read war- 
rants to them, charging them with the killing of the 
man, for which Jenkins was about to be hanged, they 
both made desperate dashes for their heavily maga- 
zined Winchesters, w T hich they always kept in close 
proximity and within easy reach of the chairs that 
they occupied almost incessantly from the time they 
entered the stores till they left them. 

One, through sheer necessity of saving their own 
lives, the officers were compelled to shoot dead on the 
spot — in his own place of business and in the pres- 
ence of his clerks ! The other surrendered after a 

53 



OTmt tfje Cfjurcft 1$ 



desperate struggle in which all were frightfully 
bruised, counters turned over, dry good thrown on the 
floor and queensware broken. 

A crashing thunderbolt from a clear sky, or a 
mighty earthquake, could not have shocked Bidwell 
more than this arrest and tragedy. Business was 
almost entirely suspended for a time, so great was 
the excitement. The city was in uproar. The clerks 
of the two stores stood aghast and paralyzed. They 
had thought that they were working for the very 
best men in Bidwell — they were always kind to them 
and paid the best wages. 

But, perhaps, the most distressed and excited man 

in the city was Dr. Fop, pastor of the 

Church. When he heard of it, he was beside himself 
and rushed with madness to the scene. He came 
without his coat, had even forgotten his silk hat and 
gold-headed cane. And his hair (that was always 
parted with such precision and so exactly in the middle 
that some had supposed that if the hairs had been 
counted, the number on either side would have been 
the same) at this particular time was disheveled and 
not parted at all. 

"Oh, my dear, good Brother Penwell," he wailed, 
"the best man whom I have ever had the privilege 
of meeting, the best church worker and one who of- 
fered the most fervent and the most earnest prayers I 
ever heard. Then to think that he had to be shot 
down like a dog, for a heinous crime that he knew no 
more about than I did! It is just too bad! Those 
miserable officers ought to be lynched !" 

Similar scenes and remarks were going on about 
the other man. For he, too, had been a great worker 
in another church. But there was no likelihood of 
any lynching being done. For, as Judge Gross did 
everything thoroughly, he made no exception in this 

54 



ana mm st ^douid -Be 



case. All things had been so systematically arranged 
that they were ready to thwart any attempt at an 
uprising. 

John Kamper, the prisoner who had escaped death, 
stormed and raved, saying, "It is an outrage and the 
most diabolical trick that I have ever known. If they 
had charged us with some small crime, then they 
might have made some people believe it. But to 
charge us with the premeditated, wilful, deliberate 
and cold-blooded murder for money is simply ridicu- 
lous. Just think of it. It is absolutely too absurd to 
talk about, or even think about. Guilty ? A thousand 
times, no ! 

"All the people in this town know that we are not 
guilty. Those miserable, grovelling sneaks of officers 
only wanted to make a reputation for themselves ; and 
the sneaking lawyer, who is at the bottom of this 
whole thing, only wanted to renew the gold and silver 
linings of his own pockets. I know who he is and I 
see through this whole thing clearly, now." 

"Are you sure of your ground, son?" said the Gov- 
ernor to Nevin as they were driving together one 
evening. 

"Father," said the son, turning and looking him 
square in the eye and with that about him that be- 
speaks absolute mastery, "I have not worked day and 
night on this case for the last two weeks for naught." 

That ended the matter so far as this subject of con- 
versation was concerned. For the father knew him- 
self and his own pow 7 ers of mind and style of thinking. 
And seeing the same, not only reproduced, but em- 
phasized in the son, he knew that this grave and 
most delicate theme should not be made a topic of 
conversation. 

By this time, they were getting well into the coun- 
try, where they could begin to see and hear things 

55 



Cfll&at tfte Cfiurcf) 3J0 



unknown to downtown city life. Just then, a mon- 
ster of a hog slowly pulled himself out of a nearby 
mud hole. A great horned owl lazily flapped his way 
across the road not far above their heads. Another 
sitting upon the topmost branch of a dead tree not 
far away was whoo-whoo-whooing at the top of his 
voice, and farther away, still another was wha-wha- 
whaing, as if tickled almost to death at the disturb- 
ance of his friends. 

The evening breeze was stirring the foliage of the 
forests just enough to keep the small birds that lodged 
among their branches chattering and talking to each 
other in sweet undertone. 

"All nature seems to say to us, in its own way, 
that in making this drive, we are doing exactly the 
right thing/' observed the father. 

"Father, we could scarcely live, much less work, 
without an occasional breath of fresh air which can 
not be had in any other way." 

This drive was absolutely essential, under the cir- 
cumstances. For next day was to be the day of testing 
and it was necessary that Judge Gross should be at 
his best. 

Penwell had been buried. Kamper was confined 
in an inner cell, the confusion somewhat subsided and 
business resumed, except in the two particular stores. 

The next day, the Judge had things so arranged 
that he could talk to Kamper alone, where no one, not 
even the other prisoners, could hear them. Kamper 
looked at him, as he approached him, and to his own 
surprise, did not see in him an enemy, as he had ex- 
pected, but a loving, sympathetic friend. 

"Why, Judge Gross," said Kamper, "I fully ex- 
pected to see you rejoicing, if not gloating over hav- 
ing me in your power. But I declare to you that you 
look as sad and heart-broken as I myself feel," 

56 



anD mm it %i)oum rst 



"Yes, Mr. Kamper, you are right. I have been in 
a state of gloom, from the moment that I was first 
compelled to even think of you as one of the guilty 
parties to this awful crime. People generally think 
that lawyers only work for a fee. Not I. I would 
gladly and willingly consent to live and die in abso- 
lute poverty, if that would establish your innocence. 

"For my heart goes out in profound sympathy for 
you, because you have many, very many, of the most 
excellent qualities that I have ever observed in any 
man. You are an ideal business man. You know 
exactly how to buy and exactly how to sell. Your 
competitors respect you, your customers honor you 
and your employes fairly worship you. 

"Then as to your life as a husband, father, citizen, 
and Christian in this city and community, it is with- 
out reproach. But still some subtle and mysterious 
power has at times taken possession of you and lured 
you elsewhere to commit the most revolting crimes. 
Now I sympathize with you with all my nature; and 
my heart fairly bleeds for your friends, and especially 
for your good wife and beautiful and promising sons 
and daughters. 

"And, now, Mr. Kamper, I want you to see my sit- 
uation clearly. You know that yonder is a good man 
with a wife, sons and daughters, of whom he, no 
doubt, thinks just as much as you do of yours. And 
if we let you go free from the crime that you have 
committed, then he will have to hang for a crime he 
has not committed. 

"You know that he is not guilty of that crime and 
that you are. I also know it as certainly as you do, 
and will overwhelmingly prove it, if I have to. Now, 
I feel absolutely certain that if you will make an open 
and full confession of the whole thing (inasmuch as 
Penwell is dead and buried, hence cannot suffer with 



57. 



mm m eimtci) %% 



you), though your crime is murder in the first degree 
and you will be sentenced to hang, your death sen- 
tence will be commuted to a life sentence, or possibly 
a shorter term in the state prison. 

"It simply reduces itself to this : let an innocent 
man hang, or let a guilty man be imprisoned. You 
cannot, but even if you could and would let that in- 
nocent man hang for a crime that you yourself com- 
mitted, it would be a greater crime than killing that 
man for his money. This, you cannot afford to do. 

"To show you that I know as certainly that you and 
Penwell killed that man as you do yourself, I want to 
say that on the night of the 8th of June last, at exactly 
10 p. m., you and he, by previous appointment, met 
under that large oak tree at the far side of Tom Bod- 
kins' field, three miles south of the town, when you 
said to him, 'We will now go straight through the 
woods and cross Buck River at Beatty's Ford. Then 
we will take the cattle trail for miles along the dark 
foot hills.' " 

"Hold on, Judge Gross," said Kamper. "How did 
you learn all these things ?'" 

"Mr. Kamper, it will not do at all for me to tell you, 
just now. But your entire route, what you said and 
all that you did that night is just as clear and familiar 
to me as it is to you. To this, I feel certain that you 
will agree, from what I have said already. If you deny 
it, we will prove you guilty and you will have to hang. 
But if you will confess it, you will not hang, but will 
go to prison." 

"Your honor, for all you are so deep as to read 
one's thoughts, the grandest and best man in the world 
and I am the most wicked of men, yet I feel that you 
are my friend. Yes, I am as guilty as guilty can be. 
My life seems to be as an open book to your great 
mind. And now I am glad that it is. I feel so much 

58 



ano mm %t ^ouid ise 



better that I have confessed. Just to think that that 
other great crime, of letting that innocent man hang 
for my crime, will not have to be accounted against 
me. 

"I do feel so much relieved that I am now ready to 
go to the state prison for life, or to the gallows, either, 
which ever the court decides. But wherever I go, I 
will think of you as the man of all men and as the 
best friend I ever had on this earth." 

The confession being put in legal form by the 
proper authorities and in the presence of proper wit- 
nesses, the news was at once heralded to the authori- 
ties where Jenkins was in prison. They were per- 
fectly horrified at the thought of having come so near 
executing an innocent man, but rejoiced exceedingly 
at the news of his innocence. They were so rejoiced 
that they entered the cell, took him upon their shoul- 
ders and literally carried him out bodily. They then 
feasted with him, paid his fare home, went along with 
him, and delivered him to his family amid the greatest 
shouting and rejoicing. 

He was so happy that he embraced and kissed his 
wife, then kissed all the children; and then he would 
seize first one and then another, carrying them about 
in his arms. Thus he continued one round after 
another. They were all so happy that they could 
scarcely eat or sleep for some days. Hundreds of 
the citizens of Bidwell came to extend congratulations, 
and almost thousands dropped them a line expressing 
their satisfaction. But perhaps no one was more re- 
joiced (not even the wife) than was Miss Church, 
who had been so instrumental in bringing about his 
freedom. 

Kamper was taken before the proper court where 
he received his life sentence and was sent away to the 
penitentiary, leaving Judge Nevin Gross occupying 

59 



mtjat tfte Cijurcft 2te 



the unique position in the minds and hearts of all his 
family, as the prosecutor of the husband and father, 
but at the same time, the acknowledged best friend 
that the family had ever known. Also, the Judge 
was left installed in his own city as without a peer 
as an authority in jurisprudence and criminal law. 



CHAPTER IX. 

OLD BEN A HERO. 

The Governor was still unhappy, in a measure, 
from the fact that his life lacked something, he knew 
not what, of being complete. But he found a degree 
of happiness in the thought that he believed that in 
some way his son would consciously, or, uncon- 
sciously, solve the problem. Hence, he was intensely 
interested in everything that his son did and said and 
rejoiced greatly in every victory that he won. Espe- 
cially did he rejoice in his last success. 

For he declared that it settled the question forever 
as to his son's proper place in the bar association. 
Also that it confirmed his own position that the 
churches were all filled with hypocrites, and that they 
were in there to use the church as cloaks for their 
meanness. 

For many months, two notorious desperadoes, 
known by the names of Jack Daws and Mike Hyde, 
had made the back counties perfectly hideous with 
their robbing and killing. Just how people came to 
call them by these names, no one seemed to know, 
for it seemed that no one could be found who had 
ever seen them elsewhere. 

No one knew whence they came nor whither they 
went. People were certain that there was a great 

60 



anD mm it §&ouid ibc 



deal of stealing and killing being done. And from 
the character of their work, it seemed that, in many 
instances, there had to be at least two men. 

Detectives had virtually camped upon their trail. 
And no one thought they ever came as far into civili- 
zation as Bidwell, for the reason that they were never 
missed out of the back counties. People had com- 
menced moving out on their account. Others ap- 
pealed to the Governor for protection. So the state 
offered a two-thousand-dollar reward for each — dead 
or alive. 

Not long after the killing of Penwell and the con- 
fession and confinement of Kamper, old negro Ben 
happened to be standing near the barn after dark, 
when he thought that he heard something that sounded 
like suppressed human voices. He stood perfectly 
still. The noise seemed to come nearer. 

By and by, he thought he could see an object mov- 
ing along the garden wall very slowly and cautiously. 
Later, he observed that there were two objects, instead 
of one, and that they were hovering close down in 
the shadows and, evidently, endeavoring to conceal 
themselves. When they reached a position directly 
opposite him and only a few feet away, they stopped 
and with the greatest possible caution, slowly lifted 
their heads above the wall and then dropped down 
with the same caution. He heard one of them say, 
in a whisper, but distinctly enough for him to under- 
stand it perfectly, "He is not in his room. We will 
waylay him on his way home from the office. We'll 
show him how to have our partners shot down, or im- 
prisoned for life/* 

They then seemed to simply vanish from view. 
Ben well knew the natural way for them to go and his 
brain being on fire at the bare thought of his master 
being killed, he could have been nervous, he could 

61 



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have fainted, but he reasoned that this was no time 
for anything but action. That what was done, had 
to be done quickly. 

So, noiselessly, but with the fleetness of a grey- 
hound, he went the opposite direction from the logical 
way for them to have gone. He went a block and 
then paralleled them (as he supposed) for a few 
blocks, when he felt certain that he had sufficiently 
outdistanced them as to enable him to hurry through 
a dark alley to the street that his master always came 
through, and would thus get ahead of them and pos- 
sibly be able to reach and warn him before he left 
the office. 

But, as he was about to enter the street, Judge 
Gross was approaching entirely unconscious of any 
danger. As Ben neared the street, two dark objects, 
crouching in the shadow of a building, and so absorbed 
in the approach of the Judge, feeling just a little timid 
at the sight of one so large and strong and thinking 
that they had succeeded in escaping all notice, did not 
discover Ben's rapid but noiseless approach. 

The moment the great man passed the corner, these 
two masked men sprang like cats from the shadow, 
guns in hand, and, thrusting them into his breast, said 
in low but most determined tones : 

"Throw up your hands !" 

"Fro' up yo' han's yo' sefs !" thundered the most 
commanding voice that they had ever heard, just 
behind them, which was so unexpected and such a 
shock to them that, forgetting their man for the 
moment, they turned to defend themselves. But when 
they did turn, they looked into the dark muzzles of 
the long blue barrels of two large pearl-handled six- 
shooters, at the other ends of which they saw two as 
deadly eyes as ever sighted guns. 

"Fro' up yo' han's, I say ; ah I'll bo' yo', yo' triflin' 

62 



znn mm it ^fcouio ise 



good fo' nuffin niggah-burnin' white trash ! What fo' 
yo' all wants to kill Marse Nevin?" 

Nerve always recognizes nerve wherever it sees it 
And they seeing nothing but positive and immediate 
death in those unwincing eyes and those death-deal- 
ing guns, there was nothing for them to do but to raise 
their hands, guns and all. 

"Now yo' all w r alks right up to de side ob dat dar 
bon." 

This, too, they did, without a moment's hesitation. 

"Now put yo' all's han's agin de side of de bon," 
he shouted. And when they did this, their guns 
bumping against the wall, Ben said, "Marse Nevin, 
take dem guns away f'om dem. Cuyaful, Marse 
Nevin, fo' dey's bad 'ons." 

When they were relieved of their guns, he said, 
"Look th'u dey's pockets and takes eb'rything out'en 
em. 

The Judge then removed another gun or two, some 
knives and a number of ingenious devices for un- 
locking doors, trunks, safes, etc. 

"Now den, Marse Nevin, call de sheriff and I'll min' 
'em. Stan' right wha yo' all is, ah I'll blow ah hole 
th'u yo' 'at a dog can jump th'u." 

No black servant in slave time was ever more 
obedient to a master than was Judge Gross to old 
Ben on this particular occasion. Not that he feared 
anything, for he was not that kind of a man. Not 
but what he would have been willing to have taken 
chances with the desperadoes, had Ben not appeared. 
But because he had never seen any man a more com- 
plete master of a trying situation than was Ben at 
this time, for he said so afterward. 

"I looked at old Ben as he stood there, absolutely 
fearless and heard him with the voice and authority 
of a commanding officer, ordering those desperadoes 

63 



OTjat tfte eiwrcb %$ 



around and saw them respond as readily as soldiers 
who had never known anything but the most rigid 
discipline. He was not the low, squatty, tenderfooted 
old nigger that I was accustomed to, but tall and 
straight. No army officer in full uniform, astride 
his best charger, commanding an army on the battle 
field, ever looked grander and more imposing than 
old Ben did that night." 

When the sheriff and his men came and took the 
prisoners and it was all over, Ben assumed his old- 
time air of humble obedience. And dropping back, 
he meant to follow along after his master. But the 
Judge took him by the shoulders and said : 

"Ben, I don't care if your skin is black, you are 
a man, a man among men — a man at your best in 
crises and in times of great danger, and, hence, one 
of the most needed men in all the city. From this 
night, henceforth, and just as long as you live, you 
shall want for neither food nor raiment, or a most 
comfortable place in which to stay." 

When they reached home, he aroused the father and 
mother and told them all about it. They were so 
exceedingly thankful for what Ben had done that 
they all tried hard to get him to come into the parlor 
of the fine home, but they could never succeed in 
getting him any nearer than the rear door steps. 
There he stood humbly with his hat under his arm, 
while they all told him how grateful they were to 
him and of the abundant provision they proposed to 
make for him in the future. 

A week later, they had learned from telegrams 
from many parts and from various identifications, that 
the prisoners were the Daws and Hyde of the back 
counties, that they had cooperated with Penwell and 
Kamper in their depredations. Besides, there were 

6 4 



Znti mm it %bou\n 05e 



numerous rewards offered for their capture from 
other states. 

Ben was called before the authorities and, after 
hearty congratulations, they told him that the four 
thousand dollars offered by the home state was now 
ready for him and that the reward offered by other 
states would be ready for him as soon as the officers of 
those states arrived and identified the prisoners. They 
took it for granted that the immediate prospect of a 
thousand times more money than he had ever pos- 
sessed before would throw him into a state of wild 
and ecstatic joy. 

But imagine, if you can, their utter astonishment, 
when he resented it with all of the energy of his 
nature, saying: 

"Naw, suh ! naw, suh ! I hab nuffin to do wid yo' 
ole wa'ds. Does yo' all think dat ole Ben has ah be 
wa'ded to keep po' white trash f'om killin' Marse 
Nevin? Naw, suh." 

"But, my dear sir," said the official, "you never 
looked for the reward. In fact, I doubt seriously 
whether you knew there was any reward offered for 
any one, and especially for these two. And this money 
is yours. It belongs to no one else and you are the 
only man on earth who has any right to use it." 

"Naw, suh, I nevah fit fo' any wa'ds an' Fs not 
gwine to has any. I fit fo' Marse Nevin an' I git what 
I fit fo'. Marse Nevin he's mah wa'd. He say he's 
gwine gimme sumpin' t'eat and sumpin' t'wah long's 
I live and dat's all I ax." 

Seeing that he was fully set in his ways, and that 
so far as he was concerned, the matter of rewards 
was settled forever, they could do no better than set 
it apart in a way that Judge Gross could, as a kind 
of appointed guardian, draw on it and use it for old 
JBen's benefit. 

65 



mm the Cfjurci) K0 



CHAPTER X. 

THE RELIEF HOME. 

Soon after the organization of the Eighth and Hill 
congregation, Elder Guide took for his theme, "The 
Helping Hand," and for his text, Galatians 6 : 2, "Bear 
ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of 
Christ" 

Galatians 6 : 5. "For every man shall bear his own 
burden." 

He said : "We all have individual burdens to bear 
or duties to perform. And these we ourselves must 
discharge, or it will never be done. To illustrate: 
You cannot do my praying for me. You can do your 
own praying for me, for it is your duty to pray for 
me and you are commanded to do it. But the point 
is, you cannot do my praying for me. That, I my- 
self must do or it will never be done and for the 
neglect of it, I will be condemned. 

"Again, you cannot do my paying for me. True, 
you may pay the amount of both of our accounts, but 
that will not clear me. I will still owe just as much 
as if it had never been paid. And I would be just 
as guilty of neglect as if you had never paid the 
bill. 'But, suppose/ says one, 'some person gives me 
the money with which to pay it, makes me a present of 
it. Doesn't that satisfy everything?' Most certainly 
it would not, for the reason that you are only re- 
quired to give accordingly as the Lord has prospered 
you. Now, if the Lord has prospered you to a cer- 
tain amount and some friend gives you some more, 
the Lord has prospered you just that much more and 
your obligations are increased just that much. 

"Again, you cannot attend church for me. This, 

66 



anti mm it ^&otiit> nst 



like the above, is an individual duty and each person 
must perform individual duties for himself, or, so far 
as he is concerned, they will never be performed. 
And what is true of all that I have mentioned, is 
true of all individual duties. 

"Then there are collective or common duties, which 
no individual member can perform, indeed, he is not 
required to do so. He is only required to perform his 
proportionate part of such duties. For instance, all 
of the financial interests of a congregation can never 
be met by any one member. True, one member may 
pay all that the Lord requires of him; then, in addi- 
tion to his own part, he may pay to the amount of 
what all the other members are required to pay, who 
refuse to do their duty. But that would not clear 
the other members. They would still be robbing the 
Lord just to the amount that they kept back." 

He said further, "This congregation will be called 
upon for various benevolences from time to time. 
We will have helpless members or, it may be, whole 
families. We may have some brother or sister who is 
too old, not only to provide for himself, but too old 
to even care for himself. He may be blind ; he may be 
sick; he may be crippled, or, he may be too weak 
mentally to either provide or care for himself. 

"Then there may be sisters who are left with large 
families of small children and nothing with which 
to support them. Again there may be deaths in some 
of our own poverty-stricken families, or in strange 
families that may come into our midst. 

"In order to do our duty in all such cases, it would 
not be right for any one, or even a few, to go to all of 
the trouble and make all of the sacrifices in order to 
meet all of the necessities in all such cases. This is 
a common duty and not an individual duty at all. It is 
one in which all who are able should cooperate/' 

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OTmt tfje Cfjurcft M 



The whole congregation recognized Bible instruc- 
tion in all this. They recognized practical Christianity 
in it. Hence, under the instruction of the elders and 
deacons, the spiritual advisors and financial agents, the 
congregation proceeded, just as soon as practicable, to 
purchase a lot in a most convenient location upon 
which they erected a comfortable, but economical, 
house with many rooms. 

They so planned it that they could add to it, as 
room was needed, without interfering with the archi- 
tectural design of the original building. When this 
building was completed and was ready for occupation, 
Mr. and Mrs. Grace, who had been receiving some 
financial aid from the church, were selected to take 
charge of it. This not only gave them a good place 
to stay, but it enabled them to make a competence for 
themselves. 

The congregation built a separate house which they 
did not call a hospital, but a home for the sick. This 
they did because so many, especially the old people, 
have such a horror of hospitals. This home was kept 
with such diligence and thereby made so very invit- 
ing, that no one was ever heard to object to going 
into it. And all, without one single exception, came 
away full of nothing but praise for the home. 

And many will be there in the Judgment Day to 
rise up and bless the Eighth and Hill congregation 
by saying: 

"We were hungry and ye fed us : we were naked and 
ye clothed us; we were strangers and ye took us in; 
we were sick and in prison and ye visited us." 

Bidwell being in a very beautiful location, among 
large hills, covered with oak and vine flowers, with 
the clearest, purest and best water flowing from the 
mountains nearby, many sick people came here as a 
last resort. Some of these on account of years of 

(58 



ano mm %t ^douid nst 



sickness of some one, or it may be a number of the 
members of the family with consequent excessive doc- 
tors' bills (the reader is well aware of the fact that 
the doctors are the only class upon this earth who 
get their pay just the same when they fail as they do 
when they succeed), would reach Bidwell helpless 
and absolutely poverty stricken. 

If such came under the observation of the Eighth 
and Hill church (and they were always on the lookout 
for them), they would take the sick right to the home, 
look after them, giving them the very best medical 
aid that could possibly be secured. For they took 
the ground that anything that was done in the name 
of Christ, should be the very best. They could not 
think of a more God-dishonoring procedure than to 
make the home a dumping ground for all of the old 
clothes and old provisions that they could not use 
themselves, and would not, if they could. 

They sent them just such clothing as would not 
make the donors blush if the beneficiaries should stand 
up in the Day of Judgment, in the presence of an 
assembled universe, with these same clothes on and 
say: "When we were too poor in yonder world 
to purchase clothing, the Eighth and Hill congregation 
bought these and gave them to us." Also, they gave 
them just such food as would not make them choke, 
should they, in the presence of God, the angels of 
heaven and all of the redeemed and glorified on this 
earth, sit down to the table spread with the very same 
kind of things furnished them by this congregation, 
and hear them say: "These are such victuals as this 
congregation furnished us in yonder world, when we 
were not able to provide them for ourselves." 

Thus they would provide for the sick members of 
the families, and by so doing, the well members, if 
there were any such, would have an opportunity to 

6 9 



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go out and earn something, provided they could get 
employment. And they would help them in every 
way possible in securing employment. And if the pa- 
tient died, they would say to the undertaker, "Give 
this person a decent burial, present the bill to us, and 
whatever you do, say nothing about it to any one." 

It was never a question with them whether the 
patient was a Christian, infidel or atheist. For they 
reasoned that an infidel and an atheist could get just 
as cold, hungry and sick as a Christian. And that 
they can and do die just the same as Christians do. 
They were taught and had learned from the Scriptures 
that they were to do good, especially to their own; 
but in addition to this, they were to do good unto 
not simply the moral, the temperate and the best of 
the outside world, but unto all men. 

It was never a question with this congregation 
whether a person was moral or immoral, for they had 
also learned from the Scriptures, that all had sinned 
and come short of the glory of God. And that the 
more one was under the curse, the more he needed 
salvation. 

They thought that if church people invited such 
to their homes as had splendid homes of their own; 
and they should come in fine apparel, with gold 
watches and money in their pockets, and sit down to 
tables bearing enough of the choicest and best pre- 
pared food to last the company a week ; and after they 
had eaten two or three times as much as was conducive 
to health, they should urge them to have still more; 
and at the same time, some poor stranger should ap- 
pear from without, about whom everything indicated 
that he was not only hungry, but almost starving, 
and ask for even some of the remnants of the great 
feast, and they should harshly order him away; then, 
their so-called religion would be a sham and a fraud, 

70 



anu mm it ^f)ouiD i5t 



Again, they thought that if the church people 
sought, greeted and invited people of means and those 
who were high up in social circles, to attend their ser- 
vices and become members, but slight, neglect and 
even spurn others, because of their poverty and lack 
of social standing, then their religion would be in 
vain also. 

While many suspected that this relief home was 
under the auspices of the Eight and Hill congrega- 
tion, for the reason that they saw the minister, offi- 
cers and various members go there so often, still, it 
could be truthfully said that that fact had never ap- 
peared in any paper or directly stated by any mem- 
ber. For aught any one absolutely knew to the con- 
trary, it was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Grace. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE DRIVE. 

Except when capturing desperadoes, whom the civil 
officers cannot discover, much less capture, old Ben 
is a hostler. Caring for horses is his business — his 
profession. And in the matter of feeding, grooming 
and preparing them for special occasions, Ben came as 
near to being recognized as an authority, as did his 
master in matters of law. While it can be truth- 
fully said that he never wilfully neglected a horse, in 
any sense of the term — he would rather neglect him- 
self any time — yet, he always prepares them in keep- 
ing with the occasion. There are extraordinary occa- 
sions, when he gives them many finishing touches, that 
it would be entirely out of place and a positive waste 
of time to do on ordinary occasions and would be of 
no benefit whatever to the horse — would not even add 

71 



OT)at tbt Cf)urc6 30 



to his appearance. And no one understood this any 
better than did old Ben. 

Since he saved his life, Judge Gross made his old 
colored hostler one of his closest confidants. He 
would just as soon, and a great deal rather, let him 
into the secret of a mining proposition, in which mil- 
lions were involved, or a detective scheme, in which 
whole bands of notorious marauders were to be cap- 
tured and thousands of dollars' worth of stolen money 
replevined, than most any other man in Bidwell. So, 
upon a certain day, he went to him, and without any 
reservation said: 

"Ben, for the first time in all my life, I am going 
to take the most beautiful girl I ever saw and one 
whom I love dearer than I do my own life, out for a 
drive. Will you have Roanoke ready for me?" 

"Ah, yaas, suh, yaas, suh, Marse Nevin, I'll sho' has 
'im lookin' lack a up-to-date hoss — I sho' will." 

Even if he had felt inclined to smile at his master, 
he would have had entirely too much respect for him 
to have done so. But he did not feel at all like it, for 
whatever made his master happy, made him happy. 
The Judge's happiness was Ben's happiness. 

Ben was in the barn working hard and as pains- 
takingly as he had ever done in all his life. He felt 
that a very great responsibility was now resting upon 
him. He felt that perhaps as much depended upon his 
work of preparation being thorough and perfect now 
as on any former occasion, and even more so. He 
thought that if his master should fail of his purpose, 
he would forever afterward reproach and blame him- 
self for the failure. 

The hostler was not working a whit harder than 
the Judge was at this time in his room. He, too, felt 
that he had a very difficult task before him. A task, 
the right performance of which, would have more to 

71 



ana mm it ^ouiu I5e 



do with his present and future happiness than any 
other that he was ever before called upon to per- 
form. 

Therefore, his shoes looked like mirrors, his suit 
was very expensive and faultlessly clean and well 
pressed. He had the latest and most up-to-date collar 
and tie with a diamond stud sparkling in his glisten- 
ing white shirt front, his heavy black hair was in per- 
fect order and his strong smooth-shaven face looking 
as rosy and tender as a woman's. 

The hour came, and when the Judge stepped out 
under the admiring eyes of the father and mother, 
he looked like a prince, indeed. Roanoke also never 
looked better — fat, sleek and velvety, with broad hips, 
limbs tapering to the hoof, long heavy mane and tail, 
eyes aglow and nostrils distended. No horse ever 
showed his good blood and kind treatment more 
readily than did Roanoke at this time. 

Moreover, the driver's heart was light. He could 
not suppress the fact and did not try to. He appeared 
to want everybody to know it and every one who saw 
him did know it. When he drove up in front of 950 
Sunset Boulevard, he was greatly surprised to find 
Miss Church residing in so imposing a residence. 
Why, it was similar to and quite as expensive as that 
of his father. 

But, while he was surprised, he asked himself the 
question, "But why should I have thought for a single 
moment that she should occupy any less imposing 
structure? I cannot account for it in any other way, 
than that ordinarily those engaged in the kind of 
work in which she is, do, of necessity, reside in less 
expensive houses. And that is accounted for usually 
from the fact that people of large means are so en- 
grossed in business affairs that they neither have the 
time nor the disposition to do that kind of work. 

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OTmt tfje Cfjurcf) 1$ 



"While as good people as the world ever has, or 
ever will, produce, have been born and reared in what 
we would call hovels, still I cannot help but reproach 
myself just a little for ever having imagined anything 
but the very best as a place in which for Miss Church 
to reside/' 

As he reined in his splendid animal and stepped 
from his shining buggy, there passed out, from be- 
tween the massive columns of this great home, a hu- 
man figure, which nothing that he had ever seen, read, 
heard of, or even fancied, could equal. 

"She is a creature of harmony !" he said to him- 
self, as she approached. She was tall with a compara- 
tively small head, set high upon a fine slim throat, 
with sweeps of abundant, soft golden hair (which 
was accentuated by the long, dark lashes), gentle 
confident-expectant blue eyes, the corners of her 
mouth curving bewitchingly, and her chin melting 
away into the fine lines of her lovely throat. Her 
faultless form was graced with a lovely habit of gray 
which lay about the person as the glove the hand; 
and the poise of her head and shoulders was so grace- 
ful as to cause every one, man and woman, whom 
she met to take more than a casual look at her. They 
would generally look at her the second time. Al- 
though she was conscious of all this, it seemed to have 
made no impression upon her, one way or the other. 

But at this time the Judge was not doing all of 
the thinking by any means. For, Miss Emily Church 
was making some observations as well. As she walked 
toward him, she said to herself : 

"We have prodigies in mathematics, but that is all 
they know. And, in many instances, they are the very 
meanest of men and women. They make their homes 
perfectly hideous for their wives, husbands or chil- 
dren. We also have men and women who have a 

74 



atm mm it §>&ouid tsz 



genius for music without study, but that is all that 
they know. And what is true of the mathematical 
prodigies is equally true of the musical prodigies. 
And what is true of the mathematical and musical 
prodigies, comes near being true of all prodigies. 

"But there stands a man who is truly great in 
every sense of the term. Physically, he is certainly 
the grandest specimen of our race that I have ever 
seen; tall, well proportioned, handsome, beyond de- 
scription, and I know him to be kind, generous and 
profoundly intellectual/' 

When Roanoke finally took them in charge, he 
seemed to have realized, by animal instinct, or, in 
some other way, that he was drawing no mean couple. 
And that his master Ben's reputation was now at his 
disposal. So, no horse ever looked or acted better. 
The rich velvety finish that Ben had given him, his 
splendid carriage, his high head, intelligent eyes, dis- 
tended nostrils and especially his artistic foot work 
that afternoon, was not only a credit to Ben, but 
such as would recommend Roanoke to the most fas- 
tidious lover of horses. 

People whom they passed in the street and roads 
would almost stare at them as they passed, and after 
they passed they would crane their necks and look 
back at them. People would stand in their doors and 
appear at the front windows and just look, look, 
look! They meant no disrespect and so the couple 
understood it. And there was no "put-on" by the 
couple, and the people understood that, too. All simply 
followed their own natural inclinations. 

The day was resplendent with golden light. They 
passed over hills, mountains and glens, beneath great, 
spreading, shadowy oaks under some of which well 
kept South Downs were resting peacefully, but upon 
their approach, they would spring to their feet, rush 

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OTjat tfte Cfmrci) 1$ 



aside a few paces, then stop and look at them, wild- 
eyed, until they passed on. 

Under others, rolling fat cattle would be lying and 
chewing their cuds in solid comfort, but would rise up 
and move lazily away just in time to prevent Roanoke, 
whose ears were turned down on his neck, from bit- 
ing them, or the wheel from striking them, and would 
stand without turning their heads even to look. 

They have now hastened along the bank of the 
stream until they have come to the large spring from 
which the stream flows through the city of Bidwell, 
several miles away. It is a beautiful spring of cold 
water. It is surrounded by a natural grove of syca- 
mores, from the very tall, straight and almost branch- 
less, to the large but low bending, making natural 
seats near enough to the ground for them to sit 
comfortably. 

Just at this hour, the grass was a carpet of beau- 
tiful green. The sun was piercing through the trees 
and giving the soft, brusselly blue grass a golden 
gleam. 

After taking a cool drink themselves and giving 
Roanoke some from a bucket that was placed there 
for the purpose, they took their place in one of the 
natural seats in a sycamore. 

"Oh, but isn't this a nice seat, though?" said Miss 
Church. 

"It is like all of nature's work — it is done right," 
said he. 

"But, Judge Gross, do you think that nature always 
does things exactly right?" 

"Most certainly, I do. There is not a single con- 
tradiction, when properly understood, to be found 
in all the volume of nature. The reason that some 
of us cannot accept some books is because they con- 
tain so many contradictions and inconsistencies." 

7 6 



and OTjat It ^IjouID IBe 



"But aren't there apparent contradictions in na- 
ture." 

"To what do you refer, please?" 

"For instance, in some places, frequently, after 
grains are planted, nature sends the rain and the sun- 
shine, causing the grain to germinate and grow up, 
but just before it matures or can be harvested, the 
same nature sends hot winds, hail or storms and 
literally destroys it. Does that not look like at least 
an inconsistency in nature?" 

"Indeed, it does, Miss Church. But when properly 
understood, there is no inconsistency about it/' 

"And might that not be true of at least some of 
the books that you have in mind?" 

"Certainly, it might be possible." 

"Before one should speak of inconsistencies in na- 
ture, don't you think that he should make an honest 
and earnest effort to understand them properly?" 

"To do otherwise would be dishonest with nature, 
himself and those who came under his influence." 

"Don't you think, too, that before one rejects a 
book, as containing contradictions and inconsistencies, 
he should first make an honest and earnest effort to 
understand it properly?" 

"I most certainly do," said he, very thoughtfully, 
as one wondering if what had just been said, or some 
part of it, might not possibly apply to himself. 

"So, then, as upon everything else, we exactly agree 
upon this, too, don't we, Judge Gross?" 

"Of course, we do. It never will and never can be 
otherwise. For, so far as I have been able to discern, 
from the very first time that I ever saw and heard 
you talk, we have been one." 

"Do you mean that, Judge Gross?" 

"With all my heart, soul, mind and strength !" 

"I would rather hear you utter that language than 

77 



OTjat m Cftutcf) 30 



any one in all this world. I appreciate it so much, 
because when you say a thing, I know that you mean 
it and can be relied upon. And oh, with what sym- 
pathy, dignity and wisdom you responded to that 
mission of mercy. Under your astute mind, the 
truth, however deep it may be buried, and however 
mysterious it may seem, is brought, not only to the 
surface, but it is made to stand out until all can see 
it, and see the wisdom and justice of your decisions." 

"Yes, Miss Church, and I want to say to you that 
you were never out of my mind a single moment 
during that whole proceeding. Without the inspira- 
tion of your face, as it appeared to me and impressed 
me the day you came to me — and does yet — I never 
could have had the heart and courage to have dug so 
deep into such apparently hidden mysteries and prose- 
cuted them so vigorously." 

"Judge Gross, you completely over-estimate what I 
have done." 

"Impossible! Eternity alone can do you justice in 
properly estimating your work in this life. But, if 
it were possible that I should over-estimate what you 
do, it could only be accounted for by the fact that you 
are my ideal. The personification of all that I desire, 
look and long for. To me, you are perfection! 

"Miss Church, I cannot refrain longer! I must 
say it! I feel as if I should die if I should not be 
permitted to deliver myself fully to you here and 
now ! There seems to be an irresistible power within, 
without, around and above, which compels me to say 
to you without any reservation, mental or otherwise, 
that I love you ! I love you, to the extent that there 
absolutely is not and never can be any room in my 
heart for any one else ! I know you believe me !" 

"Most certainly, I believe you! It would be so 
wholly unlike you to say that which you do not 

78 



ana mm it %m\iin tsz 



mean. It would break my heart to hear you say 
that you do not believe me and likewise to hear you 
even intimate that you thought that I do not believe 
you ! I believe you, you believe me and we both be- 
lieve each other, don't we, Mr. Gross ?" she said, look- 
ing up into his face, with a charm in her voice, as 
well as in the expression of her face, that he could 
not possibly resist. 

"A most charming summary of the whole situa- 
tion," said he. 

"And," she continued, "as I intimated, when you 
said that we are one, I appreciate it beyond all human 
expression, and would a thousand times rather hear 
you say it than any other man on this earth ! It adds 
so much, oh, so very much, to the joy and happiness 
of my lifer 

"Then, Miss Church, you love me? Can you speak 
that sweet word? Oh, for the world, please don't 
fail me now! This is the crisis of my life! I have, 
for the present, lost sight of everything else and I 
feel that my heart must break, if I am to be denied 
this, the only desire of my life. Say that you love 
me! Do say it." 

"With all the faculties of my nature and with all 
my powers of mind and body, I do love you, my dear, 
good Mr. Gross!" 

"My dear," said he, "we are now on the mountain 
top ! Everything is sunshine and flowers now ! An- 
swer just one more question for me and then my cup 
of joy will be full to overflowing. Will you be my 
wife?" 

"Although you are the dearest friend whom I have 
ever had and the one whom I love with all the ener- 
gies of my nature, still I am compelled to say to 
you that, at present, there is one insurmountable ob- 
stacle, an impassable barrier to our marriage. And 

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OTmt tfte Cfturcl) 10 



this one thought would break my heart and I feel as 
if I would die right here, were it not for the fact 
that that obstacle can, must and I believe will be re- 
moved, and we will become husband and wife." 

"My dear, that last was, indeed, precious language 
to me. That you love me and that there is a bare 
possibility of our becoming husband and wife is like 
the sudden appearance of the sun after having seen 
nothing but dark threatening storm clouds for many 
days. Will you now tell me what that apparently 
insurmountable obstacle to our marriage is?" 

"Not to-day, dear. It cannot be removed in an 
hour. It cannot be removed in a day. But, believe me, 
it will be removed!" 

"Am I responsible for the obstacle? If so, I am 
perfectly willing and ready to make every possible 
effort to remove it right here and now." 

"No, dear, let's not discuss it to-day. We will dis- 
cuss it until we both understand it, the next time we 
meet. But to-day, let us forget everything else and 
remember only that we love each other." 

"Of course, my cup of joy now lacks just one single 
ingredient of being full to overflowing. But, for the 
present, as you say, we w r ill forget everything except 
that we love each other." 



CHAPTER XII. 

TOM DOUEY. 

There never has been and probably never will be 
an absolutely perfect physical system — one that not 
only never has had, but never will have disease of 
any kind whatever, one that ever has been, and ever 
will be, absolutely unsusceptible to disease of any 

80 



and mm It §J)ouiD 15e 



kind. So there never has been, and never will be, a 
congregation of worshippers without, at least, one 
member who will be overtaken in faults from time to 
time. Just as there are tens of thousands of material 
substances in the world which will appeal to the vari- 
ous appetites of the body, so there are many besetting 
sins and temptations with which to contend, and by 
which the weaker, or the lesser informed, are fre- 
quently overcome and made to turn to the right or the 
left, made to sin by omission and commission — in 
word, thought and deed. 

And just as some bodily injuries are so slight that 
the person receiving them can scarcely notice it, and 
others cannot notice it at all, so in the religious 
world, there are sins and temptations so slight that 
those committing them or who are influenced by them, 
scarcely realize that they are doing wrong, and others 
will never find it out, except by open confession. 

Then, as there are many diseases and accidents, 
so violent in their very natures, that they can only 
be met by heroic remedies and vigorous treatment, so 
there are many wilful, deliberate and premeditated 
sins sometimes committed by church people, so violent 
and vicious in the very nature of things, that the 
only way to save those committing them, is to snatch 
them as brands from the burning. 

Finally, there are accidents and diseases in the 
physical world, so violent that it is an utter impossi- 
bility to save men from them at all, for physical death 
is inevitable. So there are sins, so heinous in their 
character, and so wilful and deliberate in their plan- 
ning, that those who commit them die spiritually — it 
is an utter impossibility to regenerate them. 

In the Eighth and Hill congregation, Tom Douey 
was the erring one. He had naturally a rough exte- 
rior, receding forehead, which was not a w r hit too 

81 



OTjat tbt e&urcft J$ 



broad ; heavy, shaggy eyebrows that not only ex- 
tended entirely across, but appeared to come together 
in the center with such violence as to deflect them both 
half way down the nose. He had small, black, bul- 
let eyes, sunken far back into his head, a long nose 
and heavy jaw. 

Before he made any pretensions to Christianity, he 
was called a "tough" by the people who knew him. 
He chewed, smoked, swore, gambled and fought. It 
was thought, by some people, that worry over Tom's 
waywardness was what sent his father and mother 
to premature graves. But some said, "With such a 
rough exterior it would be exceedingly difficult for 
Tom to be anything but just what he is." 

While there was scarcely anything in all the city 
that could be called wicked but what Tom seemed to 
have some direct or remote connection with it, still, it 
seemed that somehow there never was a time that 
the civil authorities could just lay their hands upon 
him and say, "Thou art the man." 

By and by, being thrown in with some of the young 
men from the Eighth and Hill congregation, in their 
daily occupations, he was attracted, not so much by 
what they said, as the way in which they conducted 
themselves. They did not say so much about the 
Bible and the church, but they demonstrated by their 
actions, and way of living, that one can live a good, 
Christian life under any circumstances. They did 
not necessarily have to possess the wealth of the 
world, get large pay or work few hours, in order 
to live a Christian life. 

Others were cursing the employers, the long hours 
and small pay, and, of course, despised the employers 
and in turn, were cordially hated by the employers, 
who, sometimes on that very account, put the malcon- 
tents to inconveniences. 

82 



aim wmt m §>&ouitj T5e 

But these Christian boys said nothing about these 
things, never slighted their work, and as a result, re- 
spected their employers, and did many little extra 
turns for them. And, in turn, the employers respected 
them, saved them in many ways from the hardest 
work and occasionally gave them extra pay. 

Tom was not so obtuse as he looked, for he closely 
observed all these things and finally said to them : 

"Boys, I see that you miss all of the worry and 
get all of the advantages, if there are any advantages 
coming. But how can you do it? For I am certain 
that I never can." 

"Well," said the boys, "you have tried your ow r n 
way for a long time, and no one knows the result 
any better than yourself. And perhaps no one is 
or can be any more dissatisfied with the results than 
yourself. Now it seems to us to be the height of 
folly for you or any one else to continue in a way that 
produces nothing but most unsatisfactory results. You 
might try our way and if the results are not satisfac- 
tory, it will not be much trouble to change back or do 
something else." 

He did finally try their way. And the longer he 
kept at it, the less inclined he was to sit and listen 
at the profanity and fault-findings of the opposition. 
He became more and more pleased when he happened 
to be sent out to work with one or more of the Chris- 
tians, where he was out of hearing of the others. 
And when he was not at work, he shunned them alto- 
gether and naturally sought the company of the Chris- 
tian boys, to do which, he would necessarily have to 
attend the Eighth and Hill church, for the boys were 
always there on the Lord's Day. 

He had not attended long until he saw that it 
was the teaching of the Scriptures and the fellowship 

83 



OTjat tU Cfturcl) %% 



of the congregation that enabled the young men to do 
as they did while they were at their work. 

So, with as pure motives, holy desires and spiritual 
aspirations as ever prompted any one in an effort to 
do right, Tom Douey obeyed the Gospel and entered 
the fellowship of this ideal congregation. 

The members all received him kindly. While they 
did not and could not expect him to be any special 
uplift to the congregation, still they knew that it was 
their duty to receive him. They said: "We know 
that he is extremely weak, morally and spiritually, and 
the Lord has shown no partiality in giving Tom an 
overdose of intellectuality, but from the Bible teach- 
ing, we also know that his soul is worth just as much 
as any other man's and that the salvation of our own 
souls depends upon our making an honest effort to 
save Tom's soul." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

BETTY LOVEBY TRIES TO REFORM. 

"I am now fifty years of age and I have lived a 
life of assignation for the last twenty years, and 
now have about me twenty girls who are going the 
same way," she said to herself, as she sat in her pri- 
vate room one day just before nightfall and wonder- 
ing what the night might bring forth. 

"My God, what a life I have lived, and how many 
men and women I have been instrumental in mislead- 
ing! Oh, if there is a just God He is under no obli- 
gations to me! And if there is a heaven of joy and 
happiness, what remote right have I there? But if 
there is a hell in which the wicked are to be punished 
for their sins, how can I possibly escape? Just to 

84 



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think back twenty years — it seems but yesterday ; then 
to think that unless I outlive any of my relatives, that 
that is all that there is left to me of earthly existence 
and then I must go and stand in the presence of a 
Being, infinite in wisdom, goodness, mercy and love ! 
And there before Jehovah's awful throne, under the 
eye of God, and in the light of a burning world, I must 
give an account of the awful life that I have lived, and 
all my words, thoughts, and deeds shall pass before my 
mind, in such bold relief, that I cannot possibly over- 
look a single one of them! The bare thought of it 
horrifies me ! I am afraid ! I am excited ! Oh, what 
can I do? 

"I will go this very night and begin to undo the 
wickedness that I have done. But where shall I go? 
Where and how am I to begin? My wicked reputa- 
tion is so well established that all either know me or 
know of me. Will any of them receive me? Will aay 
help me? 

"Dr. Fop has a strong, powerful and most influen- 
tial church — strong financially, numerically, socially 
and I do hope, spiritually. If any church in this city 
can help me reform, Dr. Fop's can. I'll try — I can't 
do any more than fail." 

She, by touching electric buttons, arranged for the 
purpose, called all of the girls into her private apart- 
ments. When they were all in, she said : 

"Girls, I am troubled beyond the power of tongue to 
tell ! It seems that I must die, if I cannot find relief 
somehow and somewhere ! You all know and I realize 
it more than any of you possibly can — I am older and 
I have lived this life longer than any of you — that 
the life that we are now living is exactly the opposite 
of everything that is good and right and pure and 
holy. It is a mockery of the laws of God and nature. 

"It is the most sickening, God-dishonoring and 

85 



mm m €\>mtb m 



heaven-defying business that the devil has ever con- 
ceived. At the time I entered it, I had what I called 
excuses, but to me now, since I have come to myself, 
they appear to be so sickeningly silly that I blush even 
to think of them. And I could not look any one in the 
face, if I thought he had any idea of what it takes 
to constitute right, and offer them as excuses now. 

"I advanced them then and made use of them, simply 
because I was wrong myself and no one knew it any 
better than I did. My conscience was calling to me 
long and loud and rebuking me most unmercifully. 
Oh, if I had only heeded the voice of conscience at 
that time, I would not be suffering what I am now. 
And in all probability, you girls would not be where 
you are to-night. At least, I know that some of you, 
indeed the most of you, would not. 

"Now, girls, from the very depths of my inmost 
soul, I beg and plead with you, to-night, to forgive me 
for ever having influenced you to live this way ! I 
am going to begin to-night to repair the miserable 
wreck of a life that I have lived thus far, first by 
telling you girls that you can all go. But please do 
not go so far but what I can keep in touch with you. 
For I am going to find relief, if relief is to be found 
anywhere. And when I do find it, I want to see all of 
you again, for I want to recommend the same to you. 

"Don't I know that most of you are here, not as 
a matter of choice, but through my influence and the 
influence of the horrible, wicked emissaries of the devil 
whom I employed. Some of your mothers think you 
are clerking in stores. Others think that their daugh- 
ters are in school or studying music. And my con- 
science will never be satisfied until you can invite your 
parents to come and find you doing the very things 
that they now think you are doing." 

86 



3nD OT)at It ^fcoulD 15e 



"Oh, do please help us, Miss Loveby," said a num- 
ber — especially of the younger girls. 

"What in the world has got into the old lady?" said 
one of the older ones, as they went out. "She is be- 
coming quite sentimental all of a sudden, isn't she, 
though?" 

Betty's mind was on the possible judgment await- 
ing her soul, unless there was some way to get right 
with God. Although she had been a girl whose beauty 
all would notice, and is still beautiful while a 
stout woman, yet the long years of dissipation had 
done their dreadful work, as was clearly indicated 
by the heavy lines about her eyes and mouth, caused 
by her brazenness, when determined to continue in 
her wickedness, and her sorrow when thinking of 
making a change. 

They were having a series of "blessed" meetings at 
Dr. Fop's church. This the members were saying 
everywhere they w 7 ent and they were going most 
everywhere and offering this fact as an inducement for 
people to attend the meetings. "The Lord is with 
us in power. The Holy Ghost is accomplishing won- 
ders among us at this time," they would say. 

One night a sad woman, genuinely sorrowing over 
her sins, veiled and dressed in black, appeared at the 
church and shame-facedly dropped into the rear seat. 
One of the good (?) sisters recognized her and said: 

"There is old Bet Loveby ! I do wonder what she 
is sticking herself in here for? I think that she has 
done enough meanness already without coming in here 
to disgrace our church." 

She hurried around and whispered to as many as 
she could and sent word to all the rest, that "old Bet 
Loveby is in the house and let us all make it a point 
to snub her, and then she will know that she is not 
wanted here/' 

87 



miftt tfie Cfturcft 10 



When he was sure that the people were all assem- 
bled, Dr. Fop, in the most pompous, dignified manner 
of which he was capable, entered the auditorium from 
his study in the rear. He ascended the steps and in- 
stead of entering his closet and shutting the door 
after him, as the Scriptures direct, when a man is 
to pray in secret, he knelt, not at the chair directly 
behind the pulpit, for fear all might not be able to 
see him, but at one of the side chairs, where he knew 
with certainty that all could view him. 

There he remained with his broad, fat back to the 
audience, while he spent about ten seconds imploring 
heavenly aid. He then faced the audience. Not a 
hair, not a mustache, was out of place — he, himself, 
being judge. It was exactly the way in which he had 
fixed it, as, for fear he might displace a hair, he 
would carry his silk hat in his hand from home. 
And there was the inevitable louse-road stretched over 
the top of his head which was so like a long, narrow 
white ribbon that it could be seen plainly by all in the 
audience. 

His text, on this particular occasion was : I. Timothy 
1 : 15. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all 
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to 
save sinners, of whom I am chief/' 

Whatever criticism might justly be passed upon Dr. 
Fop, there was one thing that all had to admit, that 
is, that he was a scholar and an orator. In fact, that 
was the trouble with the Doctor — some must have told 
him as much. And some went so far as to say that 
they thought that some one must have told him that 
he was handsome, too. Otherwise, he could not pos- 
sibly be so fussy about himself. On this occasion, as 
a logician, theologian, Bible expositor and scholar, he 
did himself great credit, and he was an "honor [sic] 
to the congregation." And all of the members present, 

88 



atm mm m §>J)ouid ^e 



who were not too much absorbed in their own disgust 
at "old Bet," as they called her, sanctioned all that he 
said by a nod of the head or an approving smile. 

In his discourse, among many other good things, 
he said: 

"Just as Christ's resurrection from the dead, dem- 
onstrated the truth of the resurrection and hence the 
possibility of the resurrection of all men, so the sal- 
vation of the one man Paul — especially as he was the 
chief of sinners, establishes the fact of salvation and 
hence the possibility of all men being saved, if they 
will only come in God's own appointed way. This is 
plainly set forth in the prophetic language concern- 
ing the gospel era, 'Come unto me all ye ends of the 
earth/ Also in the blessed Saviour's own language, 
'Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden 
and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my 
burden is light and ye shall find rest to your souls.' 

"Again in the very language of the world-wide 
commission which he enunciated, saying, 'Go ye into 
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature/ 
Also in the language of Peter to the Gentiles after he 
had witnessed the miraculous demonstrations in con- 
nection with the conversion of Cornelius. 'Now we 
know that God is no respecter of persons, but that 
in every nation, he that feareth God and worketh 
righteousness is accepted with him/ 

"And John, looking forward to the final consumma- 
tion of all things, saw an innumerable multitude 
whom no man could number, and he asked who are 
they? and he was told that these are they who have 
come up through great tribulations and have washed 
their robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. Of every nation, kindred, tribe, people and 
tongue." 

The preacher compared the many precious "comes" 

8 9 



S&bat tfte Cftutcft M 



of Gospel and prophecy with so many honey drops. 
To illustrate which he would hold up his beautifully 
dimpled hand, with fingers apart, and speak of the 
blessed "comes" in such a beautiful way that one 
could almost see the honey drops falling from the 
tips of his fingers, that is, if he could keep his eyes 
off the brilliant diamond ring that he always made 
it a point to wear on the hand that he always held 
up on such occasions to illustrate by long enough 
to listen to what he was saying. He made it most 
tender and touching! He closed his elegant dis- 
course by ringing the changes upon the words every 
and whosoever. "Let every one come. Whosoever 
will, let him come and drink of the water of life 
freely," he would quote. 

In connection with these words he laid wonderful 
stress upon the fact that Jesus came to save sinners; 
to seek and to save the lost. Also upon the fact that 
Saul, the chief of sinners, was saved. "Now then," 
said he, "if any one is to be lost, it is his own fault — 
it is simply because he will not come. 

"Then come to Christ and salvation now. Now is 
the day of salvation, to-day if you hear my voice, 
harden not your heart, but turn unto the Lord, who 
will have mercy upon you, and unto our God who 
will abundantly pardon. Come, then, to-night. God 
says, 'Come/ Christ says, 'Come,' the church says, 
'Come,' and oh, the angels are now leaning over 
the shining battlements of heaven anxiously awaiting 
your decision! If you will decide to come, then 
heaven will ring throughout with angelic song. In 
the light of the infinite interest that heaven and earth 
are taking in you, will you not come to-night, while 
you have time and opportunity. Let nothing hinder 
you. Say in your heart, 'Though the ocean may 
cover me and the mountain press me down, though 

90 



anD mm m ^ouin » 



the earth may tremble and the heavens fall, I will 
come to the Savior this night/ " 

When he closed this passionate appeal, Betty 
Loveby, who had been weeping as if her heart was 
breaking, during the entire discourse, but especially 
during the invitation, came forward — everything 
about her indicating that her heart was filled to over- 
flowing with sorrow and her very soul bowed down 
with grief. 

The minister did not know Betty Loveby except by 
reputation, and hence did not recognize her as she 
came forward. However, he could notice looks and 
whispers of disapproval all over the house, but could 
not understand what it all meant until he asked the 
woman her name. When he heard her name, all was 
made perfectly clear. 

The doctor, being a politician and a diplomat, as 
well as a preacher, had no difficulty whatever in man- 
aging the case. He said to her in a full, round voice, 
so that all, especially the objecting ladies, could hear 
and understand him: "Miss Loveby, you will kindly 
meet me and my wife at my residence to-morrow at 
3 p.m., and we will talk this matter over/' 

He knew that this would give the ladies time to 
get their work in and thereby enable him to know ex- 
actly what to say to her when they met. 

She went away that night feeling as sad and dis- 
tressed as if she were then on her way to judgment. 
She was no fool, and could "see through" the call 
for the next day as clearly as the minister could. 
She knew that it was unusual to postpone so im- 
portant a matter. She knew exactly just why they 
had made an exception of her case. She now ex- 
pected, absolutely, no assistance from this great 
church. 

But in her frantic desperation she was determined 

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OTmt m Cfturcf) K0 



to meet the appointment. This she would not think 
of doing were it not for the fact that she could not 
find it in her heart to blame them very much for not 
receiving her, for she now thought less of the life 
she had been living than they did because she real- 
ized its horrors and they did not. 

The next day there was a constant stream of 
women pouring in at the doctor's residence, all of 
exactly the same mind and all, in substance, told him 
the same thing, that is, "If you take that woman in, 
every woman in the church will leave it." 

And not a few men came and said, "We do not 
believe that it will be a wise thing to receive Betty 
Loveby on account of her awful reputation. It would 
disgrace, ruin, yea, break up the congregation. We 
would have to lock up the house, and you would have 
to look for a new field of labor/' 

It required no elaborate arguments to meet the doc- 
tor's case, because he thought just as they did. His 
only object in making this appointment was to spar 
for time, so as to give others an opportunity to file 
their objections. Which objections he could use as a 
kind of scaffolding for his own excuse in not re- 
ceiving her. 

At the hour appointed here she came — the same 
shame-faced, forlorn-looking woman that she was the 
night before. 

"Well, Miss Loveby," said that dignified, pompous- 
looking gentleman, "I am, indeed, very sorry, but 
there is such a general protest among the members — 
especially among the ladies, that, under the circum- 
stances, it will be impossible for us to receive you 
into our followship." 

At this announcement she burst into a flood of 
tears, and her body trembled and shook with emo- 
tion, as she said, in deep, smothered tones, "Oh, I 

92 



anD mm it §&oun> » 



am lost — there is no salvation for me, I have been so 
very, very wicked !" And, among many other things, 
she said amid her sobs, "I don't blame the church 
for not wanting me among them, for I have been so 
wicked P 

And thus she continued to talk so pitifully about 
her lost condition that, while it did not affect his wife 
a particle, except to enrage her more and more at 
the thought of the effrontery of a woman with such 
a reputation to ask for fellowship in "our church/' 
still it was so exceedingly pitiful as to touch the doc- 
tor's heart of stone to the extent of prompting him 
to kneel and offer a short prayer for her. He prayed 
that the good Lord might watch over her, protect her, 
keep her and save her. He prayed that the people 
of God might protect her, help and encourage her in 
every way possible — the very thing that he and his 
own congregation had refused to do. Then, in the 
words of a certain wag, "putting on a face long 
enough to eat oats out of a churn/' he said, "Good-by, 
my sister, God bless you." 

Heaven never witnessed a more desolate scene than 
the departure of Betty Loveby that afternoon, so 
weary and heavy-laden with sin, a heart filled with 
sorrow and a soul bowed down with grief ! 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE OBSTACLE DETERMINED. 

"It is wonderful the amount of business that Nevin 
transacts, but the ease and grace with which he 
does it is much more wonderful to me," said the Gov- 
ernor to his wife one evening, as the son departed for 
his office after dinner to attend to some urgent busi- 
ness. 



93 



ft&ftat tfte Cfturcf) M 



"The thought of failure seems never to enter 
his mind. And I am inclined to think that fact is 
one of the secrets, if not the secret, of his almost 
invariable success. 

"While I was what the world called successful, yet 
I must acknowledge frankly that Nevin has some- 
thing, at least in part, that I have not and never 
had. And it seems to me that just in proportion as 
he possesses that which I do not, exactly in the same 
proportion does his happiness transcend mine. 

"See that bird there in the shrub? Notice its 
plumage of golden gloss. Hear it call and continue 
to call for its mate. After a persistent call, watch it 
turn its head to one side, while it awaits a response. 
And see what patient, black, liquid, expectant eyes it 
has. That is Nevin. He calls, so to speak, then, with 
apparent joy and expectancy, does he patiently await 
results. 

"And, mother, do you know what it is that I have 
about concluded constitutes the difference between 
his happiness and mine?" 

"No, husband, I do not know, but would certainly 
like very much to know. What is it?" 

"It is this. I discover that he has more confidence 
in, more sympathy for and more patience with the 
people than I ever had. I am about to conclude that 
if the church people could, by laying aside their 
hypocrisies, and by practical and consistent lives, con- 
quer his supreme disgust for the church and every- 
thing pertaining thereto, I believe that his happiness 
would be complete. 

"I had comparatively little patience with anybody, 
while his impatience seems to be limited to the church 
people. You notice that the very mention of the 
churches and their pretensions seems to fire him 
through and through." 

94 



ann mm it ^ouid tbc 



"Yes," said the wife, "and I cannot blame him much 
either, for it is about as he says, they say and do 
not." 

"No, wife, the straw that broke the camel's back 
with Nevin and seems to have destroyed his con- 
fidence in the church people almost entirely was his 
deal with that Mr. Glib, the Sunday-school superin- 
tendent, who made such great pretensions, for that 
property on Tenth Street. 

"Nevin told him just what he wanted, and the 
superintendent, who was a realty man, looked around 
until he found this property, and thought that it 
would exactly fill the bill. So he took Nevin out to 
see it" 

" 'How much will I have to pay for this property V 
said Nevin. 

" 'If you will give me three or four days/ said the 
superintendent, 'I think that I can get the owner down 
to thirty-four hundred dollars.' 

" 'All right/ said Nevin, 'if you can get it at that, 
I'll take it/ 

"The superintendent then went to the property 
owner and said to him, 'If you will give me three or 
four days, I think I can get the purchaser up to 
thirty-one hundred dollars/ 

" 'All right/ said he, 'if you can get thirty-one 
hundred dollars for it, let it go.' 

"In a few days he came to Nevin and said, wringing 
his hands as he did it, 'Well, I finally got him down 
to thirty-four hundred dollars/ Nevin said, ' I'll 
take it then/ 

"The same day the superintendent went to the 
owner, wringing his hands, and said, 'Well, I have 
had a time of it, but I finally got him up to thirty- 
one hundred dollars/ The owner said, 'Let him 
have it/ 



95 



OTmt tfje Cftutcft 30 



"A few days later the seller met Nevin and said, 
'What did you pay for that property ?' 

" 'I paid thirty- four hundred dollars/ 

" 'Thirty- four hundred dollars !' said the man. 'Why, 
he said if I would give him three or four days, he 
thought he could get you up to thirty-one hundred 
dollars. And finally, when he came to me, he said 
that he had had an awful time, but that he had finally 
succeeded in getting you up to that amount/ 

"Nevin told him that the agent told him that if 
he would give him three or four days he thought he 
might be able to get him down to thirty-four hundred 
dollars. And that finally he came to both in the same 
way, that is, wringing his hands, saying that he had 
had an awful time, but that he had finally succeeded in 
getting the one down and the other up to a certain 
amount. 

"He took a rake-off of three hundred dollars; be- 
sides, he got his regular commission on the thirty-one 
hundred dollars. He lied to both of them, he de- 
ceived both of them, and he robbed both of them. 
Now, how can the boy be expected to have any con- 
fidence in church people ?" 

On their former drive Roanoke was just as well 
groomed and equally proud of himself. Judge Gross 
and Miss Church were just as elegantly attired; the 
sun shone just as brightly, and the birds sang just as 
sweetly, still the two were not so conscious of these 
things then as now. 

To them it was not like travelling by the bright 
and brilliant sunlight, by moonlight or even starlight. 
For to them both it seemed that they were travelling 
by the light of one dim, distant, glimmering star, 
that is, the vague star of hope that the only barrier in 
the way of their marriage might be removed. 

But, of course, other people, the birds of the air,, 

S6 



ana mm it %boniti -Be 



the fowls of the heavens, and the beasts of the field 
knew nothing of their state of mind. So, to the two, 
it seemed that all were holding high carnival that 
day. The people seemed to be talking louder, laugh- 
ing heartier and singing more than ever before. 

Great clouds of blackbirds would appear in mid-air, 
and, as the sun shined upon them at different 
angles, they would form themselves into all kinds of 
fantastic figures. The cattle, instead of waiting for 
Roanoke's threatening attitude to force them to rise 
lazily and move slowly out of the way, would spring 
to their feet at the sight of them, and with tails over 
their backs go romping down the road, kicking up 
their heels, and presently come back, passing on either 
side of the buggy at such maddened speed that Roa- 
noke would lay his ears back, hesitate and wonder 
what it all meant. 

Here in a green pasture they could see the mules 
chasing the calves at a break-neck speed in order to 
let off their surplus energies. There the lambs were 
gamboling, jumping logs and running down into and 
quickly up out of ditches. While, amid the branches 
of the trees on both sides of the road, sweeping and 
bending low with heavy foliage, there was a per- 
fect chorus of variety song, participated in by every 
variety of bird known to them. 

These things would have thrown people, not wholly 
absorbed in one single thought, into perfect ecstasies 
and lifted them to the very mountain summit of exul- 
tation. 

But they were all lost for this one day on this spe- 
cial couple. For, while ordinarily no two were more 
capable of enjoying these things, on this special day 
they were completely lost to everything in the world 
except the thought of the obstacle between them. 

To one a life of marital happiness depended upon 

97 



OTjat tfje Cfjurcfj 3te 



the removing of this obstacle, and to the other the 
weights and balances of eternity, so far as one singu- 
larly valuable soul is concerned, are suspended upon 
the removing of this same obstacle. 

"Now then, dear," said he, as they comfortably 
seated themselves in exactly the same place at the 
spring, where they sat on the preceding occasion, 
"state the obstacle and I think that, by uniting in our 
efforts, we can overturn it here and now." 

"No, Mr. Gross, it is not so easy as that. It is 
taller, broader, deeper and heavier than you antici- 
pate. Otherwise you would not think of its re- 
moval in the short space of one hour. You remember 
that I told you that it could not be done in an hour, 
or even in a day." 

"Yes, I remember that very well." 

"With men wholly different from yourself, it might 
be done by simply mentioning or suggesting it. But 
not so with you." 

"What!" said he. "Do you think that I am worse 
than other men?" 

"Just the opposite, my dear, for you do nothing 
simply for show, and you have no patience with any- 
thing but realities; hence you will not — you cannot 
— take anything of vital importance for granted. 
From your very nature you cannot surface things. 
You have to investigate and go to the root and foun- 
dation of any theory or proposition before you can 
accept it." 

"That is true, and I do not think that any one should 
accept any proposition of vital importance without 
first investigating it." 

"Neither do I. And I want you to understand me. 
I do not mean to criticize you for so doing, but to 
most heartily commend you. For certainly anything 
that will not stand the closest investigation and the 

9 8 



ana mm m ^Doum jb* 



most careful scrutiny should not be accepted by any 
rational, thinking and intelligent man or woman." 

"Yes," said he. "In all my observation, if a thing 
is what it should be, the more you investigate it 
the more clearly you see that it is right. It is like 
gold tried in the fire. The hotter the fire and the 
more severe the test the more dross you get rid of 
and the more pure the gold becomes." 

"Yes," said Miss Church. "And, as the Savior 
said, 'Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like 
the lily of the field/ That was literally true then, is 
now and ever will be. For, if you place a lily under 
a microscope, the more powerful the instrument the 
more of the beauty, symmetry and perfection of the 
flower can you see. 

"But place the most beautiful robe that ever graced 
the person of the great king of Israel under a micro- 
scope, and the more powerful the instrument the 
coarser and the more like ropes and rags does it 
appear. The reason is that the lily is God's work- 
manship before it has been touched by the hand of 
man, while the robe is God's creation after it has 
been touched by the hand of man. 

"In this illustration, we see a striking difference 
between God's way and man's way of doing things. 
We can clearly see that the inspired statement that 
God's way is not man's way, and that his way is as 
high above man's way as the heavens are higher than 
the earth is borne out by nature. 

"Now, God is the author, center, source and great 
fountain-head of all that is good, true, right and 
proper-true and righteous, altogether. Hence, the 
more you investigate and the more you apply the rigid 
laws and rules of criticism to that which is right, the 
more of its beauty, symmetry and perfection can you 
see." 



99 



OTmt tfje Cfjurcf) 1$ 



"Oh, yes, truth is always best by test," said he. 
"And this you have illustrated most beautifully. Er- 
ror alone suffers by test. And whenever you see any 
one advocating a system, but is opposed to investi- 
gation, discussion or debate, you may rest assured 
that his system has at least some weak places, and 
that he knows it. 

"Now, Miss Church, believing that we are perfectly 
agreed thus far, will you kindly state the obstacle, 
that we may get at it, if possible." 

"Judge Gross, I know that you will not think too 
hastily and judge too harshly when I mention it. 
Wait until we talk the matter all over first. I know 
that you will be astonished, if not astounded, when 
I tell you what it is." 

"But please do not hesitate to tell me what it is, 
for the worst has to come sooner or later, anyway." 

Then looking into his large, gray, expectant eyes, 
and concentrating all her powers of mind, heart and 
soul, she said, "You are an unbeliever." 

"Is that the obstacle that you have had in mind all 
the time?" 

"It is." 

"And you think that I can be made a believer?" 

"Most certainly I do." 

"What makes you think that I can be made to be- 
lieve?" 

"Simply because Christianity is true, and you are 
honest, true, noble and willing to investigate. Not 
only willing to investigate, but perfectly capable of 
investigating." 

"I thank you very much, Miss Church, for your 
kind words. But may I ask, are you a believer ?" 
1 am. 

"And do you belong to some church ?" 

"I do." 



IOO 



ano mm It ^fjoulti -Be 



"Of what church are you a communicant ?" 

"The church at the corner of Eighth and Hill 
streets. " 

"You say that you are a believer. Will you kindly 
tell me what you believe ?" 

"I believe in the existence of the God of the Bible. 
I believe in the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and 
the authenticity of the Scriptures — that all Scripture 
was given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for 
doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in right- 
eousness that the man of God may be perfect — thor- 
oughly furnished unto all good works, as the Apostle 
Paul says." 

"But, Miss Church, do you think that all of the 
churches are right?" 

"Of course not, for the Bible teaches them to all 
be one. And the very fact that they are not all one 
is positive evidence that either some of them or all of 
them are not exactly right. No doubt, but all have 
more or less truth. It is not at all likely that any one 
would make it a point to adopt nothing but error. 
While it may be that some have a great deal more 
truth than others, it is quite possible that no church 
has the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the 
truth, but Mr. Gross, the Eighth and Hill congrega- 
tion is trying to attain that position." 

"But don't you know that the churches are all 
filled with hypocrites?" 

"If I know my own heart, I am not a hypocrite," 
she said, so sweetly that it caused the great man to 
severely reproach himself for ever having said that 
which was susceptible of any such construction. "I 
have always thought that hypocrites were the very 
worst of people ; people who pretend to be what they 
are not; people who pretend to have that which they 
do not possess; those who say and do not; those 

IOI 



OTat the Cimrc!) j$ 



who never acknowledge that they have faults, but 
always claim to be more righteous than any others. 
Now, dear, do you think for a moment that I be- 
long to that class?" 

"No, indeed, Miss Church, please do not think that 
I had any such a thought in mind, although I have 
to confess that, if my question is to be taken too liter- 
ally, it is susceptible of that construction. But I 
doubt seriously whether you could name anything in 
the world that was farther from my mind at the 
time." 

"Then, if I am an exception, it cannot quite be said 
that the churches are all filled with hypocrites. Be- 
sides, I dare say that there are hundreds, thousands, 
and tens of thousands who are prompted by absolutely 
pure motives and holy desires in all that they do." 

"But we all have to admit that there is a great deal 
of hypocrisy in the churches, do we not, Miss 
Church?" 

"As sad as it is, that is too true. It is a startling 
fact, an alarming reality. But do you disbelieve in 
Christianity simply because there is hypocrisy in the 
churches ?" 

"That is not only what keeps me from accepting 
Christianity, but it is what keeps and has kept mil- 
lions from accepting it. If Christianity is true, and 
people have to accept it in order to be saved, untold 
millions have gone hence without preparation because 
of the hypocrisy in the churches." 

"I know that every word that you say is true, but 
does it appeal to you as exactly just, fair and right to 
fail to accept the genuine because there are counter- 
feits extant? The Bible says that pure and undefiled 
religion before God and the Father is this, to visit the 
fatherless and the widows in their affliction and keep 
yourself unspotted from the world. To ask you if you 

103 



aits mm it ^>i)omp age 

believe in this is to answer my own question. For 
your whole life thus far demonstrates it beyond the 
possibility of a doubt." 

"Of course, I do believe in the principle therein 
enunciated. But there is manifest hypocrisy in most 
all of the churches." 

"Yes, but when we speak of Christianity and rec- 
ommend the same to others we mean Christianity. 
We mean the genuine, the pure and undefiled, and 
have no reference whatever to the counterfeit. When 
we speak of paying or receiving a dollar, of course 
we do not mean a counterfeit. For a counterfeit 
is not a dollar at all. So hypocrisy, in the name of 
Christianity, is a counterfeit and not Christianity at 
all." 

"My dear, you do certainly stick to your subject 
with a logic that no man on earth can assail. Yes, I 
am compelled to admit that it would be just as rea- 
sonable to reject the genuine dollar because there are 
and ever have been counterfeit dollars extant as it is 
to reject Christianity because there is hypocrisy or 
counterfeit Christianity extant. 

"But, Miss Church, don't I visit the fatherless and 
the widows in their afflictions and keep myself fairly 
straight morally?" 

"Indeed, you do, and from that standpoint I could 
hold you up before the church members as a model. 
But, Judge Gross, why do you do these things ?" 

"Why do I do them ? Because I think, yes, I know, 
that they are right." 

"Ah, yes, you have now inadvertently hit upon the 
real difference between you and me. I am like you — 
I think and know that they are right, but that is not 
the reason that I do them." 

"But what other reason can you have for doing 
them?" 

103 



OTmt m Cf)urc|) 310 



"I do them because God, in his Holy Word, com- 
mands me to do them," she said. 

"What is the difference, just so we do them?" 

"Let me ask you a question. When you do a thing 
simply and solely because you yourself think and 
know that it is right, whom are you obeying?" 

"I must confess that I am obeying myself, only." 

"And if you are worshipping at all, whom are you 
worshipping?" 

"Again, I must confess, as ridiculous as it may 
seem, that I am worshipping myself, only." 

"Now suppose for a moment that the Bible is the 
book of God and that in it is revealed the way in 
which we are to worship the Most High God, can 
you think of anything more God-dishonoring and 
Heaven-defying than for a poor, weak, fallible, mortal 
man to obey and worship himself instead of the 
God who created the heavens, the earth and all that 
in them is, and who giveth us life, breath and all 
things ?" 

"Your logic is most unmerciful and cruel in the 
extreme, for it certainly would be presumption per- 
sonified for any one to obey and worship himself. 
You make it sound like and look like egotism raised 
to the nth power. But is the Bible true, inspired 
of God?" 

"I say that it is. You say that it is not. And 
that is the point to be settled between us. I believe 
the Bible with all my heart and it tells me to be not 
unequally yoked together with an unbeliever. You 
can see yourself that if an enthusiastic believer and 
an enthusiastic unbeliever be compelled to live to- 
gether, it will be a mere chance if theirs will be 
lives of happiness." 

"I know that is true and I see the wisdom in it. I 
might be prevailed upon to accept the Scriptures and 

J04 



ana mm it mouin ise 



become a member of some church, if I could find one 
that is practising pure and undefiled religion. One, 
for instance, whose members are doing what two men 
are reported to have done for two comparatively 
strange young men, while one was lying crippled. 

"They met their every want and never even told 
the boys their names and never asked the boys theirs. 
One of them was present at the Receiving Hospital 
when the horrible wound was dressed, went right 
along with them to their room and remained with 
him, gave him water, helped him to move and assisted 
him in every way possible until his partner came. 

"As soon as he came, at the request of the afflicted 
man, he related the history of the accident to him and 
immediately excused himself for a few moments, 
while he went and brought a nice little pillow that 
looked as though it had been made for the purpose. 

"When the injured knee was placed upon it, it 
seemed to become easy, at once. He then told the 
well man that he would have all that he could do 
to attend to the patient and that he would send their 
dinners to them. 

"Protests availed nothing. For their meals were 
brought to them right along until the crippled man 
was better. Not only did they take their meals to 
them, but the next day, after Dr. Fop had been there 
and wanted to pray while the man was in paroxysms 
of pain, and the well man had virtually driven him 
off, and some young lady, appointed by the flower 
committee of her church, had brought them a bouquet 
and they had told her that it was not flowers that 
they needed just at that time, the same man who 
had waited upon him at first, brought another man 
with him and the two, seeing that the man was in 
agony, almost delirious and about to die, proceeded at 
once with the deftness of skilled physicians or sur- 

X05 



TOat m Cfjurcft 30 



geons, to loosen the bandage and apply proper reme- 
dies. 

"He was relieved and fell asleep — the first rest that 
he had had for many hours. After he was convales- 
cing and was approaching health, a young lady, nicely 
dressed, presented them with a nice cake and at the 
same time, without mentioning it, she left a beautiful 
bouquet of carnations on the table by the side of 
the cake. That is what I call right living. It was 
not only what they did, but the spirit in which they 
did it. They never even told their names. And if the 
boys ever found out, they had to through inquiry. 

"Also, we have another striking illustration of the 
same kind, only on a larger scale. It seems to be 
done in the same spirit, too. I refer to the Relief 
Home on Bond Street. It is large and contains many 
rooms. Besides, they have a well-appointed build- 
ing away off to itself for the sick. Only the penni- 
less are received in this home. 

"And, until the sick are entirely well, there is not 
one single want overlooked. They have nurses who 
thoroughly understand their business and as good 
physicians as the city affords. When they are well, 
their doctor bills are all paid. By whom they are 
paid, the patients never know. If the patient dies, he 
is given a decent burial and the bills are all paid. 

"At the main building, when persons come or are 
sent without money and have been hunting, but have 
failed to find work, they keep them, make inquiry 
about them and assist them in securing employment. 

"Now, these two instances serve to illustrate exactly 
what I believe in and the way in which I think that 
it should be done, as well as the spirit in which it 
should be done. If this is Christianity, I believe in 
it, and if any one can convince me that the Bible 
teaches it, then I will believe in the Bible, too, 

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ana mmt it ^ouiu %t 



"Now, Miss Church, you have your work thor- 
oughly outlined and I predict that to remove this ob- 
stacle, that is, convince me that the above is Chris- 
tianity, that the Bible teaches it and that there is a 
church on earth that is practicing it, will not be at 
all easy and not quite so certain as you had antici- 
pated at the beginning. 

'Tor, we all know that, instead of meeting all of 
the bills themselves, the almost invariable custom of 
the churches is to adopt every plan, scheme and 
trick imaginable, in order to raise money. They send 
out their soliciting committee, printed bills and circu- 
lars. They have every possible variety of socials to 
raise money. They have lectures, dedications and 
membership fees to various societies, to raise money. 
And so on, almost ad infinitum. 

"They will receive money from any source what- 
ever — from saint and sinner, believer and unbeliever, 
the sober man and the drunkard, the moral and the 
immoral, the Christian and the pagan. 

"Not only so, but if they are accomplishing any- 
thing, they talk about it, mention it at their various 
meetings, announce it from the pulpit, in the papers 
and sometimes in book form. 

"They not only publish to the world what they are 
doing, and have done, but what they are going to 
do, even if they never do it. I tell you I have seen 
pictures of splendid church buildings in secular 
papers, which the church members say that they are 
going to erect some time in the future. And in some 
instances, I have known years to elapse before the 
buildings were completed. In the light of all these 
things, the church people have impressed me as the 
most boastful and most unscrupulous people in the 
world. 

"My dear, I fear that you are disheartened by 

l0 Z 



OTjat tfje Cfjurcfi 1$ 



this time and will concede that your proposed task 
of making a believer out of me, is an impossible one 
— that the obstacle is insurmountable. That it is so 
tall, broad, deep and heavy that we can not get over 
it, around it, under it and will not be able to lift it 
out of the way. And you and I will have to mourn 
our way through life over the impossible. " 

"Judge Gross, you have now delivered yourself 
fully and I am so glad that you have. But, at present, 
as you do look so distressed and troubled, and as it 
is too late for us to talk further now, I know that 
you will allow me to silver the dark and heavy lines 
that linger about your noble face before we go." 

"My dear, you are my life, my joy and my happi- 
ness ! And, without you, the present gloom will not 
only remain, but it will increase in density through- 
out my earthly existence. Yes, do what you can for 
me, or I will have to go away gloomy, despondent 
and melancholy from this place to which I came an 
hour or two ago with a brilliant spark of hope." 

"I myself am almost in ecstasies," she said. "Your 
own distress is all that keeps me from being happy! 
For I had anticipated all that you have said and, in 
the light of the fact that you have stated your posi- 
tion and condition of mind so fully, I am enabled to 
say to you now that, at our next meeting, I will 
spring a surprise upon you that will not only 'silver- 
line/ but you will at least partially dispel the gloom 
that now seems to so completely overwhelm you." 

"You dear, sweet angel, you do have the most 
gracious way of saying things ! It acts like a magic 
upon me ! Since your last precious words, I do really 
feel better already. And in the full assurance of un- 
bounded confidence, I will look forward, with con- 
stantly increasing interest, to our next meeting." 

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ana mm it ^douid -Be 



CHAPTER XV. 

TOM DOUEY IN TROUBLE. 

Just as any one will devote a great deal of time 
to even a little finger, if it is weak or afflicted, so the 
congregation gave Tom Douey a great deal of atten- 
tion, because they well knew that he was extremely 
weak, spiritually. 

Just as all the other parts of the body will become 
sympathetic toward an impaired or failing member — 
the eyes observing its condition, the feet walking for 
the remedies, the ears listening and the heart forc- 
ing the blood to it, all under the supervision of the 
will, in order to support the weak member or restore 
it to health ; so, all the spiritually healthy members of 
this ideal congregation united in their efforts to as- 
sist Tom Douey in every way possible, simply be- 
cause he was weak. 

For a long time, in his own weak way, he did what 
he could. He attended all the services of the church, 
spent as much time as he could in the company of the 
church people, and, best of all, studiously avoided his 
old-time associates. 

Of course, in his weakness, he lost control of his 
temper a few times and used language that was not 
wholly in keeping with his profession as a Christian 
man. But, to his everlasting praise, he would al- 
ways come and acknowledge it and ask the church to 
forgive him. The church, of course, always rejoiced 
at the privilege of so doing. They believed that God 
also forgave him. 

But during all this time the emissaries of the devil 
were not idle. His old associates who had been accus- 
tomed to free drinks at Tom's expense, and winning 

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his money over the gambling table, missed it all now. 
They studied by day and by night to devise some ways 
and means to win him back to their ranks. 

"Tom," they would say every time they got an 
opportunity, "do you know that we all miss you more 
than any one who has ever left us ? We thought that 
we appreciated you when you were ampng us, but we 
did not realize what a capital fellow you were until 
you were gone. 

"Sam Betley and Joe Getting [these were star pool 
and poker players whom Tom knew to be his supe- 
riors] say that they have been all over the country 
and seen all kinds of men and all kinds of players, but 
Tom Douey is the most royal fellow and the most 
promising pool and poker player that they have ever 
met." 

While for months he resisted all their advances in 
a way that they could not possibly misunderstand, 
which was to the supreme satisfaction of the church, 
by and by such flattering and honorable (?) mention 
by those who were at the very top in their own cir- 
cles began to have its effect upon him. 

He did not stop to think that it was possible and 
altogether probable that Betley and Getting had never 
said anything of the kind. Or, if they had, they did 
not mean a word of it, and that it was only a miserable 
scheme to get him back into their ranks— that they 
wanted him back simply because he always worked, 
and hence usually had more or less money, and was 
the "easiest mark" they had ever met. 

Eventually their influence over him began to mani- 
fest itself in his occasional absence from the meetings 
of the church, the reduction in his hitherto small con- 
tributions and his general shyness upon meeting, or 
while in company with, church people; also in his 

no 



anD mm it ^douid ise 



occasional unjust criticisms of the members and the 
general workings of the church. 

But, as physicians sometimes fail utterly to prop- 
erly diagnose a case, and are, on that account, help- 
less in providing the proper remedies, so in Tom's 
case the members could not possibly ascertain the 
exact nature of the influences that were being brought 
to bear upon him. Hence they were helpless, and 
all of their efforts seemed futile. But, as it is not 
proper to amputate a limb of the physical body, how- 
ever much it may be afflicted, until all has been done 
that can be done, and its remaining a member will 
endanger the life of the whole body, so this church 
understood the Bible to teach that they should never 
withdraw the hand of fellowship from any erring 
member until they were certain that they had done all 
that they could do, and that he had become so steeped 
in sin and so determined to continue therein, that his 
remaining a member would endanger the life and 
good influence of the entire congregation. 

They visited him, talked with him, reasoned with 
him, read the Bible to him and prayed with him, but 
all without avail. In spite of all the influence they 
could bring to bear upon him, he finally ceased to 
attend the church altogether. 

Sam Betley and Joe Getting had been told how their 
names had been used and what a powerful influence it 
had had over Douey in prevailing upon him to return. 
And, taking advantage of this fact, Betley said to 
Tom late one night in all possible secrecy, "I want 
you to meet Getting and me at my room to-morrow 
night at eleven p.m. I have an important matter to lay 
before you both. And, Douey, you are absolutely 
the only man in all this city whom I would let into 
this scheme with Getting and me." 

Ill 



OT)at tfje Cfjutcft M 



Feeling somewhat flattered at the thought of being 
made a confidant by these stars, he said, without re- 
luctance, "I'll be there, and don't you forget it." 

The hour came and the three appeared. Sam closed 
and bolted the door, sat down by the table and said: 

"Now, boys, draw your chairs close up to the 
table, for we will have to talk very low. For God's 
sake, it will never do to let any one hear us, or in any 
way catch onto our scheme. Now, look here, listen 
to me. Before I mention what it is, I want us all to 
bind ourselves to absolute secrecy. I don't simply 
want to bind you two, but I want to bind myself as 
well. Isn't that square goods, fellows?" 

"That is square, all right," assented both. 

"We want to bind ourselves," said Betley, "under 
a solemn oath that if any one of us is ever caught 
he will not squeal on the others. I am perfectly willing 
to bind myself. Are you both willing to do the same ?" 

"I am perfectly willing," said Getting. 

"So am I," said Tom. "A man who is not willing 
to do his part and measure up equally with partners 
in business of any kind, I don't care what is it, is no 
man at all," continued Tom. 

"That is right, and if we had not had every reason 
to believe that you were just that kind of a man I cer- 
tainly never would have selected you as a partner in 
as important a business as I am. about to mention to 
you," said Betley. 

Poor Tom, it did not dawn upon him that the 
other two had talked the matter all over, and that 
Getting was just as familiar with the scheme al- 
ready as Betley. 

"Now, let us all hold up our right hands and say 
that I solemnly swear that if caught I will die before 
I will tell on either or both of the others," said Betley. 

112 



and mm it %bonin nst 



They then all held up their hands and repeated in 
concert : 

"I do solemnly swear that if caught I will die before 
I will tell on either or both of the others." 

"Boys," said Betley, "does either of you look on 
betting of any kind whatever as a strictly right and 
legitimate business, when you come right down to 
the moral right or wrong of the thing?" 

As they hesitated a moment, as if not quite com- 
prehending his meaning, he continued : 

"If there is a just God in heaven, does either of 
you think for a single moment that he would recom- 
mend gambling to any one, and that he would advise 
any one to try to make money in that way ?" 

"Oh, thunderation, no," said Getting. "To ask 
that question is to answer it. For any one who has 
any sense at all, or has any notion of what it takes 
to constitute right and wrong, knows that God would 
not recommend gambling to any one." 

This was the exact answer, word for word, that he 
had promised Betley that he would make in Douey's 
presence, if he could prevail upon him to attend the 
meeting. 

"Of course, everybody knows that God would con- 
demn betting of every kind," said Tom. 

"Well, then," said Betley, "we are engaged in 
wrong-doing in gambling anyway, and all for the 
money. Is that not true?" 

"That's what we are," said Tom. "We do not have 
to be told this by any one, for we know this our- 
selves. In the absence of any law of God or man 
on the subject, we would still know that the thing 
is wrong — our own consciences would tell us this." 

"Then," said Betley, "on this principle that a good 
general will send forth his men and have a great 
many destroyed at once in order to close the war, 

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92Jf)at tfje Cfturcf) 1$ 



rather than prolong the war and thereby have a great 
many more men destroyed, inasmuch as we are en- 
gaged in wrong-doing any way, why not we do a 
little greater wrong and thereby make money a little 
faster? 

"I say a greater wrong. But since I came to think 
about it, I am not right certain that it is a greater 
wrong. For this that I am about to suggest will 
probably not happen to the same man more than once 
in a lifetime, if at all. 

"It is this, boys," said he in a very soft whisper — 
so low that they had to put their heads close together. 
"I know an old man who lives all alone, and who has 
a sufficiency of this world's goods. Besides, he re- 
ceived a thousand dollars in gold the other day, and 
has not put it in any bank yet. It makes no difference 
how I know it, but I do happen to know where the 
old guy keeps it hidden. He certainly is an ingenious 
old rip, for you could not guess in a week where he 
keeps it. 

"Well, sir, if he don't keep it under the old wood 
box that sets by the old cook-stove in the kitchen I 
am a liar. Would you have ever guessed it, boys ?" 

"Never in God's world," said Getting. 

"That would have been the last place that I would 
have ever looked," said Douey. 

"I will leave it to you both," said Betley, "if it 
would not be worse to drag that old sinner out here 
night after night and gamble his money away from 
him than it would be for us to just go there to-night 
and compel the old son-of-a-gun to cough it all up in 
one lump." 

"Of course, it would," said Getting. 

"I can only judge him by myself," responded Douey. 
"And I know that I myself would a great deal rather 

114 



anu mm at shouid tbc 



that they would take all of my money at once if they 
are to get it all anyway." 

Here again his logic failed him. For he did not 
stop to think that this old man was not a gambler, 
and that they would not and could not drag the old 
man out for one night, much less night after night, 
and hence w r ould never get a dollar of his money if 
they had to get it through gambling. 

"Enough said/' said Betley. "He is that old sling- 
chisel who lives by himself down here on Emmet 
Street. You both know exactly w r here he lives. I 
could have gone and taken it alone and kept it all, 
but you two men have done me many good turns, and 
I tell you I am not the kind to forget favors. 

"We will not have a bit of trouble, for I could go 
down there blindfolded with my hands tied behind 
me, and that old scapegrace would get his money, put 
it into my pocket and thank me for the privilege of 
giving it to me. We will wait until we are certain that 
he is in bed, and then just before we reach the back 
door we will put our masks on. I will knock on the 
door, and as he opens it you both push your guns into 
his breast and tell him, in low tones, that you will 
not hurt a hair of his head if he will keep his mouth 
shut and not say a word. We will then tie and gag 
him, I will get the money, and we will walk away. 
It will be just as easy to do as it is to tell it." 

"We are ready for business," said the accomplices. 

The whole scheme worked like a charm, so far as 
getting the money was concerned. And they all suc- 
ceeded in getting started from the house. But, un- 
fortunately for poor Tom, the man living at the next 
door had been out on a long trip, and it was very late 
that night when he reached home. As he was on his 
way from the barn to the house, he saw the three 

115 



mm m enures i$ 



men appear at his neighbor's rear door, and, thinking 
it was very unusual, he stood still to watch them. 

While it was not very light, still it was light enough 
to see that they wore masks, and he saw their guns as 
they pointed them at the old man. As soon as he 
was convinced that they were robbers, never having 
had any experience along this line, and not know- 
ing what else to do, he quickly dashed into his own 
house, seized his shotgun and took his station in his 
own rear yard again. 

They were such adepts at their business that by the 
time he reappeared they had done their work and 
were leaving the house. He took one deliberate aim 
at the bunch, and Tom Douey went down. No one 
could tell how badly the other two were hurt, if 
at all, for they never could get any clue to their iden- 
tity, and they took all the money with them. 

The alarm was given, the neighbors called in, the 
officers notified, and the ambulance came to take Tom 
to the Receiving Hospital in company with the offi- 
cers. Upon examination, they found that his wounds 
were so slight that it was a surprise to all that he 
went down at all. After they were dressed, they took 
him to the jail, where he remained all night. 

When he fell the night before, he lost his mask. 
So when people came running from every direction, 
many of them, as soon as they would see him, were 
heard to say, 'That is Tom Douey. I didn't know 
that he was a robber; I thought he was a church 
member. I thought he belonged to the Eighth and 
Hill congregation." 

The next morning Elder Guide, his minister, was 
the first to go and see him at the jail. When he had 
him where he was quite certain that no one could 
overhear them, he said: 

"Brother Douey, you have been overtaken in a 

ji6 



and mm M ^&oul& 15c 



grievous fault, and the hearts of the entire congre- 
gation go out in profound sympathy and love for you. 
We have done all that we could do for you while you 
remained with us in the church, or where we could 
get at you." 

"Yes, indeed, Brother Guide; not one of the entire 
membership has ever neglected me in a single in- 
stance. If I had followed the advice of the elders; 
if I had followed the advice of the fathers and moth- 
ers in Israel ; if I had followed the advice of the 
young men, the young women, the little children — 
even the least little one, just passed the line of ac- 
countability, become responsible for his sins, obeyed 
the gospel, and was nothing but a little babe in 
Christ — if I had even taken that little one's advice, I 
would not be here now. 

"Just as long as I remained under the influence of 
the church, I was all right, and, in this, I feel certain 
that the church will bear me out. But when I got 
out from under the influence of the church, I at once 
passed under another influence. And, oh, that influ- 
ence is what brought me to this." He then broke 
down and cried most bitterly. 

"Yes, my brother," said the minister. "We all 
know that this robbery was not of your planning. 
And on this very account the court will, no doubt, be 
lenient with you. But you have violated the civil law, 
and it is right that you should be punished. The Bible 
says, 'Let every soul be subject unto the higher 
powers. For there is no power but of God; the 
powers that be are ordained of God. 

" 'Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, re- 
sisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist 
shall receive to themselves damnation. 

" Tor rulers are not a terror to good works, but 

117 



mm m eimrc& 1$ 



to the evil. Wilt thou then be afraid of the power? 
do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of 
the same; for he [the civil officer] is the minister of 
God to thee for good/ 

"Now, I, as your minister, cannot ask the court 
to release you. And if the court should do such an 
unheard-of thing as to call me in to advise with him 
concerning your case, my advice would be to punish 
you. It would not be right for you or any other vio- 
lator of the law to go unpunished. 

"While it almost breaks my heart to think that you 
have made it necessary to punish you, yet, since it 
is necessary, I want you to be punished, and the 
church desires the same thing. Not because we are 
your enemies, but because we are your friends. It 
would wreck and ruin any country in the world to 
let those who violate the law go unpunished. 

"Go, my brother, and take your punishment, but 
remember that we are all thinking of you and pray- 
ing for you every day. Remember also that when 
you have paid the penalty for your own violation, 
then there is nothing against you. Come back to us 
and we will gladly receive you with open arms, and 
ever treat you as before." 

"Oh, Brother Guide, after your kind words, so full 
of wisdom, justice and right, I feel better. My spirit 
has returned, and I feel as if I would like to receive 
my sentence as soon as possible> that I might get 
through with it sooner. 

"For, since your talk, I feel like I want to live to 
get my freedom again that I may have another oppor- 
tunity to make an honest effort at right living. 
Brother Guide, when you came, I had given up. I 
was ashamed to see you or any one else — I wanted 
to die." 

118 



an* mm it ^&oum ibp. 



Judge Gross, attracted by the suppressed voices, 
stopped just around the corner, where they could not 
see him, and overheard all, but knew neither man. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OUT OF THE ORDINARY. 

"Father," said Judge Gross, as they took their ac- 
customed places on the front porch after dinner one 
evening, "I saw and heard something to-day that 
appealed to me as altogether out of the ordinary." 

"And what was it, son ? You know that we are all, 
more or less, like the Athenians, anxious to learn 
something new." 

The mother also drew her chair a little closer that 
she might hear every word that her son was about 
to say. 

"I was passing through one of the corridors of 
the jail to-day, and my attention was attracted by 
one of the kindest voices, it seemed to me, that I 
ever heard. It was very much suppressed, and it 
was this fact as well as the kindness of the tone that 
attracted my attention. 

"I stopped just around the corner, where they 
could not see me, but I could make out distinctly 
every word they were saying. It proved to be some 
man talking to that notorious Tom Douey. And, 
father, it was so very different from any conversa- 
tion that I had ever heard that I simply could not 
help but do just a little eavesdropping. 

"The nicely dressed, gray-haired old gentleman 
without was doing all of the talking. The prisoner 
seemed at first to be so completely broken up that 
he did not desire to hear any one talk. But that 

"9 



OTmt tfje CDurcf) M 



man hushed his sobbings, interested him and finally- 
put him to talking. 

"The man proved to be the minister of the con- 
gregation of which Tom Douey was a member. He 
told Tom that the entire congregation was grieved 
to the heart, not that he had been captured, but that 
he had committed the crime. He said that inasmuch 
as he had committed the crime, he and they all were 
glad that he had been apprehended. And that, as 
sad as it may seem, they were all exceedingly anx- 
ious to have him punished, commensurate with his 
crime, because it is right. That it would do Tom, 
the congregation, the community and the whole coun- 
try a gross injustice to let him, or any one else, go 
free after having violated the criminal law. Besides, 
he said that the Bible teaches that we are to obey the 
powers that be, for they are the ministers of God. 

"Thus he talked on. He never berated the pris- 
oner and never derided the government in a single 
instance, but insisted upon it that it was wicked asso- 
ciations that had made him do what he had done. 

"You know, father, that is altogether different from 
the way that church people usually talk. You know 
and I know that the general disposition on the part 
of the church people is to do just like Dr. Fop did, 
that is, try to shield their own members, it makes no 
difference what they do. 

"Testimony has to be absolutely overwhelming be- 
fore one church member can be made to believe 
that another member is guilty. They seem to think 
that simply because a man or a woman belongs to 
one of the multitude of religious organizations now- 
adays he should be exempt from the law. But if 
a man is not a member of some church, then they are 
the first to condemn him. And if he happens to be 
an unbeliever, then they seem to think that he should 

120 



ann mm at %bou\n i5e 



be condemned almost without testimony — that he 
should be condemned on general principles. 

"Not so with that man to-day, for he thought and 
said that even if a man is a church member, if he 
violates the law, he is no better than any other out- 
law and should be punished. His talk made an im- 
pression upon the prisoner, too. For, when he was 
done, you should have heard the prisoner himself 
talk. 

"He said that the whole congregation had done all 
that it was possible for it to do for him. That every 
member, from the least to the greatest, had shown 
wonderful interest in him, and that if he had fol- 
lowed the advice of the least, the youngest baby in 
Christ that held membership in that congregation, 
he would not be where he is to-day. He said further 
that when the man came to his cell, he was broken- 
spirited — he had given up entirely — but that the man's 
kind words had revived his spirits, and that he was 
then anxious to receive his sentence that he might 
enter upon it at once and thereby get through with it 
the sooner. 

"He said that, encouraged as he was, he felt that 
if he lived to get out and have his freedom again, 
he would make another honest effort at right living. 
He said that when he got out he did not propose to 
be over-sensitive on the subject — too ready to notice 
or resent anything that might possibly be construed as 
a slight, on account of his imprisonment. 

"That he knew, as well as anybody, that he had 
disgraced himself, and that he could not reasonably 
expect the people to have as much confidence in him 
and make as much over him as they had before his 
disgrace. 

"But the minister assured him that when he came 
back the whole congregation would receive him with 

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open arms. I never, in all my life, saw a short talk 
work such a change in a man." 

"Indeed," said the Governor, "it is a very unusual 
case. I have been in active life for over fifty years, 
and Dr. Fop's action, when Penwell was killed, is a 
fair sample of what I have seen of what is called 
Christianity. His idea was to take that sly old hypo- 
critical fox's innocence for granted and mob the cus- 
todians of the law. And, so far as my observation 
has extended, that is about what is to be expected of 
the churches generally. 

"'But what has disgusted me with them perhaps 
more than any other one thing is that most all want 
the very finest church that can be had, to build which 
they will resort to all kinds of schemes to raise the 
funds ; some schemes that are so glaringly and shame- 
lessly immoral that they cause dissatisfaction in their 
own congregations which it takes months and some- 
times years to live down and, in a few instances, 
never. 

"They will organize, appoint committees and sub- 
committees and send them out to literally 'drum' the 
world, the flesh and the devil in order to raise funds 
to pay for this magnificent structure, the picture of 
which we have been seeing in the secular papers for 
a long time. If they make a success of begging 
enough money out of the people, when the building is 
completed, they brag, boast and gloat over what the 
church has done. 

"Then, after the people have virtually built it, paid 
for it and presented them with it, they are not will- 
ing to pay the taxes on it, but plead the pauper act 
and send committees to wait on legislators-elect and 
lobby at state capitols to have a law passed to exempt 
church property from taxation. 

"Then, again, they talk about their Bible teaching 

122 



ami mm at ^ouiu jh 



peace, love and harmony! And just look at the thou- 
sand or more warring sects into which the church has 
been divided. Just listen at the storms of debate and 
the voices of vituperation, when even the ministers of 
the same denomination meet in conference or con- 
vention. 

"I myself feel very much like the great, so-called 
heathen scholar, who, after having delivered an ad- 
dress (which was a classic, judging it from a stand- 
point of scholarship and literary merit) in this coun- 
try, asked, 'Why are there so many denominations in 
Christianity ?' 

"When one doctor of divinity of about the same 
tribe of Dr. Fop, placing his hand upon the great 
scholar's shoulder, said, 'Ah, my brother, you are only 
in the vestibule of the church/ The great scholar 
said, 'Yes, but when I stand in the vestibule, look 
out on the arena and see the gladiators fighting among 
themselves, I feel much more like fleeing from the 
vestibule than I do of entering the arena/ " 

"I have felt the same way, father, and do yet. 
That is why this particular case made such an im- 
pression upon me. The thought came to me that, 
since this one man has proved to be an exception, 
if the facts could all be known, might there not be 
many such exceptions? You know that you met with 
so many dishonest persons that you were sometimes 
made to wonder if all men were not dishonest. 

"But, father, we both know that, while there are 
innumerable dishonest men in the world, there are 
also innumerable honest men, even if they are just a 
little difficult to find sometimes. So, although gen- 
uinely good, Christian men and women and genu- 
inely Christian congregations may be difficult to find, 
yet may there not be many such ?" 

"I don't know/' said the Governor. "It may be so/' 

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The son was never heard to talk in this way be- 
fore by any living man. The father was utterly as- 
tonished. Why, it seemed that the son, in a measure, 
stood for the defence of the church. The secret of 
it all was that a ray of light had passed out from the 
home of truth, through its minister, and had shone 
upon Judge Gross and, through him, less brilliantly 
perhaps, upon the parents. 

Nevin Gross could not resist the beautiful spirit of 
the iron-gray gentleman toward the man who had 
committed a grievous crime, and the Governor could 
not altogether resist the influence of the same, as it 
came to him through a son, who was never influ- 
enced by anything except realities. 

After the son had retired, the father said to his 
wife : "Nevin is finding a degree of real happiness 
through a channel that never appealed to me once in 
the whole of my public life. He has more confidence 
in people than I ever had. He seems to love them 
more and more, as the years go by. And it affords 
him a joy that I never experienced. 

"And, wife, who knows but what this may be an 
unction of the sweet, well-flavored fruit that is to 
come to us through the evolution of the noble princi- 
ples that he enunciated at the table one evening?" 



CHAPTER XVII. 

JUDGE GROSS IN A TEMPERANCE CAMPAIGN. 

As in everything else, he investigated it until he 
was abundantly able to touch the top, sides and bot- 
tom of the whole liquor question. He could, from 
memory, give the exact analysis of every intoxicating 
drink manufactured anywhere in the world. He 

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could state the annual production, in gallons, of every 
country beneath the sun. 

He could tell, with the technical exactness of world- 
renowned authorities, the deadening and destroying 
effects of the various kinds of intoxicants upon the 
physical, mental and moral system. 

It was his profound knowledge and thorough under- 
standing of the question that made him a temper- 
ance man. His convictions upon the subject were so 
strong that he would have been a temperance man if 
there had not been another on the face of the earth. 

He said : "The thing is wrong in its inception ; it 
is wrong in principle ; it is wrong because it is wrong, 
and cannot, by any sane and just rules of reasoning, 
be otherwise. It is constitutionally wrong." And, 
at this point, he quoted copiously from state and na- 
tional judicial decisions to prove it. 

The opposition never saw a man espouse any cause 
who was dreaded more than they dreaded Judge 
Gross. They knew that they could not simply palm off 
just anything upon an unsuspecting people and com- 
pel them to receive it. They knew that they would 
have to do something more than simply set up claims 
for their own side and denials of the claims made by 
the other side. They knew that they could not exag- 
gerate or minimize anything. 

For the reason that their giant opponent was 
prompted by pure, sacred and most solemn motives 
in all that he was doing, and that he felt duty-bound, 
honor-bound and heaven-bound to make the effort 
of his life. 

And while all they knew about his promptings was 
that they were true, they did not quite know all of 
his promptings. And it may be that he himself did 
not quite realize all. But there was to him, at least, 
one other moving spirit that had to be taken into 

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account — a spirit that made him abnormal in strength 
and power, which enabled him to unconsciously rise 
clear above and go entirely beyond himself, that is, 
the spirit and influence of Miss Emily Church. 
Neither she, Elder Guide nor the members of that 
ideal congregation, which was the home of truth, 
could begin to realize the far-reachings of their pure 
and holy influence. 

The opposition could not help but love and honor 
the great man because of his honesty of purpose, pur- 
ity of life, great learning, powerful logic and burning 
eloquence. 

They well knew that every statement that they 
would make would be analyzed; that he would stand 
before the great concourses of people that would nat- 
urally greet him everywhere and look at everything 
analytically, that is, take them apart, piece by piece, 
and examine them seriatim, and then look at them 
synthetically, that is, take these same pieces, one at a 
time, examining them carefully and lay them back 
in the order in which they belong. And they knew it 
was woe betide the man or men who would dispute 
any of his statements or deny any of his conclusions. 

No man ever marshalled forces upon the battle- 
field with more commanding dignity and more dash- 
ing bravery than he marshalled the forces of tem- 
perance and righteousness in this memorable battle. 
He donned the armor and walked with the firmest 
step that the city of Bidwell had ever seen. Men 
engaged in deadly combat, club-musketing with a for- 
midable enemy, never fought harder than Judge Gross 
did at this time. 

In describing the crime, the starvation, the heart 
burnings, and the deaths that follow in the wake of 
the saloon business and intemperance, he would, by 
his magnetic and harmonious voice, brightness and 

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brilliance of intellect, incomparable fluency of lan- 
guage, invulnerable logic, transcendent eloquence and 
Gibraltic determination, make the whole liquor traffic 
stand out like a horrid nightmare, and completely- 
overshadowing the city like a mighty pall of death. 

While he was engaged in his masterful efforts, 
he seemed to have been completely lost to everything 
else in the w r orld. Not a particle of his nature was 
in reserve. His whole being, physical, moral and 
mental, was combined and put out at testing strength 
when the whole hideous system, in all of its phases, 
collections of dishonesty, theft, murder, cold, hunger 
and death, would pass before their minds in such vivid 
and bold relief that the people would scarcely realize 
where they were. 

They would sometimes have to pause and think a 
moment in order to recall in what part of the city 
the meeting was being held that they might get their 
bearings and know in what direction to start for their 
homes. At the pictures of moral midnight darkness, 
the people would become absolutely horrified — even 
some of those who had stood for liquor hitherto 
were almost afraid to go home in the dark, they were 
so ashamed and conscience-stricken at what they had 
been doing and the way in which they had been living. 

He so completely overwhelmed the city that long 
before election day many who had been most ardent 
liquor advocates were heard to say : 

"Who can withstand the power of that man?" 

Others were heard to say : "And who should want 
to withstand him, for he is right? Everybody knows 
it. Has he not proved it by a demonstration and be- 
yond the shadow and possibility of a doubt? We 
might just as well give it up, for we are already 
beaten, and we know it. I wish that to-morrow was 
election day, and then it would all be over." 

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When all was over, everybody, on both sides, said 
that not only was it the cleanest campaign that was 
ever made, but the most complete and most satisfac- 
tory victory that was ever won. 

No city was ever prouder of and felt more hon- 
ored by any citizen than did the city of Bidwell of 
Judge Gross. And no citizen in Bidwell appreciated 
his brilliant effort and success in so good a cause as 
did Miss Church. 

She would at times, in spite of herself, have to 
smile at the awful confusion and the utter helplessness 
of his opponents, as they were tossed hither and 
thither by his mighty cyclones of eloquence, and lit- 
erally shaken and dashed to pieces by his mighty 
earthquakes of logic. 

Then again, at the time and even after she got 
home, as she could see the great man carrying every- 
thing before him and fighting, with exactly the same 
energy as if he thought he were fighting alone, en- 
gaging a most deadly foe, she could not help but 
break down and actually cry for joy, only to think 
that they had such a noble master to fight such great 
battles for them, and who was always so certain of 
signal victories. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

BETTY LOVEBY FINDS A HOME. 

After her absolute failure, and worse than failure, 
at Dr. Fop's church, she did not know what to do. 
"I thought," she said, "before I made the attempt, 
that I could do no more than fail, but I did. I not 
only failed to receive any assistance, but I received 
the discouragement, the scorn and absolute hatred of 

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perhaps the greatest, strongest and most influential 
church in this city. And, if I cannot get help from 
that congregation, especially in time of a great spir- 
itual revival, when the Lord is with them in power, 
and they are all under the influence of the Holy 
Spirit, how can I hope to find any encouragement 
whatever from any other congregation ?" 

For some days she simply groaned, suffered and 
almost died. And, feeling that something must be 
done, she tried again and again at different churches, 
but met with the same scornful opposition. 

By this time she had become so desperate that she 
could neither eat nor sleep. When her suffering be- 
came so great that she could not endure it longer, 
she resolved to make one more desperate effort. 

"I shall go to the Eighth and Hill church this 
evening/' she said, "and ask for help and admittance, 
and if they refuse I shall not give way to tears, as 
I have been doing, for I have already shed tears until 
it seems that I have no more tears to shed. 

"My heart is breaking! I am desperate, but my 
fountain of tears seems to have been exhausted. If 
they refuse me, I shall insist upon it. I shall argue 
the matter with them. For, while I know that I 
have been a desperately wicked woman, and for 
twenty years I have lived a horrible life and pre- 
vailed upon many others to do the same, still it does 
not stand to reason that when I want to quit that 
they are doing right in discouraging me. 

"If I should give way to their discouragements and 
scorn, I would continue in my life of shame, and I 
verily believe that before God they would be as guilty 
and responsible for my sins as I would myself. But 
I shall not be overcome by any discouragements. 

"I have been reading the Bible to find out my duty, 
if possible. I have not only found out my own duty, 

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but, incidentally, I have found out the duties of the 
church people. I have learned from the Bible the 
church's duty toward just such characters as myself. 

"I have learned that there is salvation for me. For 
the Savior himself said, 'Come unto me all ye that 
labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.' 
And, oh, I have labored so hard and am so very 
heavy laden with sin, and I do so much desire rest ! 

"Again, I read where he said, 'I came to seek and 
to save the lost/ I also know that I am lost and all 
of the churches know the same. He said, 'I came not 
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." I 
am a sinner and lost, and hence I am one of those 
whom He came to seek and to save. I shall tell the 
Eighth and Hill congregation all this, if they refuse 
to receive and help me." 

Somewhat strengthened and encouraged by her 
own determination, but especially by the lessons and 
exceeding great and precious promises that she had 
learned from the Word of God, she set out to attend 
the services at the above-mentioned church, several 
blocks away. Somehow she felt now that she was 
going to accomplish something, if not this evening 
she would in the very near future. 

"There certainly is a church somewhere to be 
found," she said, "that is teaching and practising the 
things taught in the Bible. And if there is such a 
church, I propose to find it. One of two things is 
true, either such a church can be found, or they are 
all wrong, and God will not accept the worship of any 
of them." 

As she went on her way the moon showed her 
kindly face, as if wishing her God-speed. The few 
stars that were so brilliant that they were not quite 
eclipsed by the brightness of the moon were quiver- 

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ing and sparkling in their weak efforts to indicate 
that they not only existed, but were on her side. 

As she passed under one great arc light after an- 
other, the crowds of people were surging up and down 
the streets, going to churches of their own choice, 
to do which great throngs of people were seen to 
pass right by one beautiful church building after 
another and would not go in, and why ? Because they 
were not churches of their choice. 

And in going to churches of their choice they would 
frequently collide with hundreds of people, who were 
on their way to these very churches that they had 
passed, because they were churches of their choice. 
This kaleidoscopic view of church-going people taught 
Betty Loveby, who was now an honest and earnest 
seeker after truth, that there was something vitally 
wrong. 

"The Bible," she said to herself, "says for them to 
all be one; to be of the same mind, the same judg- 
ment and to speak the same thing. This the churches 
are not doing. They are not all one, they are not all 
of the same mind, and the same judgment, and they 
are not all speaking the same thing." 

She began to feel that, while she herself was a 
miserable, gross and awful sinner, still she had com- 
pany both in and out of the churches. She now felt 
that she wanted to hasten along. She wanted to get 
there. She was anxious to see the people, hear the 
sermon and present her plea. 

She entered this large, most comfortable, but not 
especially imposing church building several minutes 
before the services began and took her place on the 
rear seat. 

To many she had been pointed out on the streets 
as one of the worst characters in all the city. And 

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those to whom she had not been pointed out knew 
her well by reputation. 

Notwithstanding this fact, during the few minutes 
preceding the regular services, scores of both men and 
women, old and young, came to her, shook hands with 
her, asked her name, and said, "We are certainly glad 
to see you here to-night, hope that you will enjoy 
the services, and please do not leave for a while after 
the benediction, for we want you to meet more of 
our members." 

When the minister appeared in the pulpit, he 
glanced over the congregation, and, discovering this 
sad-looking woman, dressed in black, occupying the 
rear seat, he at once left the pulpit and went down 
the aisle, took her by the hand, told her that he was 
glad to see her, and finally prevailed upon her to 
move a few seats further forward. 

Elder Guide took for his text Romans 1 : 16. "For 
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is 
the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
believeth." 

"I believe it with all my heart," said Betty Loveby 
to herself, "therefore, there is salvation for me. I 
know there is." 

The minister then proceeded: "The gospel is as 
broad as the human race and as deep as human needs. 
Its importance stands out in the fact that it is the only 
thing of the kind in all the universe of God. You no- 
tice that the apostle doesn't say a gospel, but the gos- 
pel, indicating that there is but one gospel. 

"Its infinite value is further indicated in the fact 
that the gospel is called the power of God unto sal- 
vation. Not a power, not one of many powers, but 
the power, indicating that it is the only power in all 
the universe of God that is capable of bringing men 
and women to Christ and salvation. 



*3 2 



3nD mm %t ^bouiD i5t 

"We are called upon to believe the facts of the gos- 
pel, that is, that Jesus died, was buried and upon the 
morning of the third day arose from the dead." 

"I believe these facts with all my heart," said Betty 
Loveby inwardly. 

"Then we are to obey the commands of the gospel, 
that is, we are to truly and heartily repent of all of 
our sins, confess our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and be baptized into the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

"I have truly and most heartily repented of all of 
my past sins, in agony and tears, for days and nights. 
I have now given up all my sinful ways and turned 
away from them. I am now ready, willing and ex- 
ceedingly anxious to confess my implicit faith in 
Christ and be baptized into his blessed name, and am 
only waiting the very first opportunity," she said. 

"All who will believe the facts of the gospel and 
obey the commands of the gospel can thus, by faith 
and obedience, appropriate the promise of the gospel, 
that is, pardon of all past sins, the comforting influ- 
ence of the Holy Spirit and the bright and glorious 
hope of heaven, with all that heaven means, unto 
himself." 

"I desire these exceeding great and precious prom- 
ises above all things," she thought. 

"If there is any one present who does believe the 
facts and is now ready to obey the commands, while 
we sing the invitation song, we invite you to come 
forward." 

Just as a hymn began to fill the house with its 
sacred and solemn melody, Betty Loveby arose and 
went forward. At which the whole congregation 
rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Many 
went into tears, and the singers were compelled to 

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cease their singing until they could get control of 
their emotions. 

To this congregation, with implicit faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ and his Holy Word and unbounded 
confidence in God, to be able to reach such a hard- 
ened sinner was a positive demonstration of the effi- 
cacy of the gospel and its power to save. 

At the close of the invitation song, Elder Guide, 
who was in tears, but had the happy faculty of talk- 
ing with wonderful power and with most telling 
effect, despite his tears, said : 

"Now, who can dispute the wonderful power of the 
gospel ? This is Betty Loveby, of whom, no doubt, all 
have heard, for she has been in this city for a num- 
ber of years. Miss Loveby, I know that I express 
the sentiment of this entire congregation when I say 
that we all rejoice exceedingly at your presence at 
this time. We welcome you most heartily, and 
will try to do our whole duty in making your stay 
among us both pleasant and profitable. 

"We never ask a congregation whether it will re- 
ceive a person who comes as a believing penitent, for 
the reason that it is not theirs to say. It is not the 
congregation receiving or rejecting, but God. I would 
not remain with a congregation for an hour if it 
should thus interfere with the Lord's work and only 
receive persons who scarcely need repentance." 

After she had made a confession of her faith, the 
minister announced that she insisted upon being bap- 
tized the same hour of the night. And, to the honor 
and praise of the congregation, not one left until the 
baptism was over. After the benediction the mem- 
bers gathered about her, and all expressed their joy 
and happiness in having her in their fellowship. They 
promised her that they would do all in their power 
to make her stay among them pleasant. The sisters 

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took her name, street and number and promised to 
call upon her soon. 

Before she left the house she told Elder Guide 
that if he would kindly give her his number, and 
would consent to it, she would be pleased to call and 
see him and his wife the next day at 3 p.m. on what 
she felt to be, to her, the most important business 
in the world. 

"Most certainly, call. We will be exceedingly anx- 
ious to meet you at that time/' said the minister. 

She went home that night scarcely able to realize 
where she was. It seemed to her that heaven had 
come down and kissed the earth that night. She 
realized for the first time in all her life that "Earth 
has a joy unknown to heaven, a new-born joy of sins 
forgiven/' She could now sing for the first time : 

"When earthly things shall cease to be, 

And life's eternal fruits shall bear, 
When all the good are gathered home, 
I shall be there." 

While through sheer exhaustion from the grief and 
sorrow of the past days she slept some that night, 
but a good part of the night she lay and let her new- 
born joy bear its first fruits, that is, cause her to 
become interested in others. 

And, as parents, upon becoming religious them- 
selves, first think of their unsaved children, so, upon 
becoming religious herself, Betty Loveby's heart first 
went out for her girls, from the awful sacrifice of 
whose virtue (let the angels weep!) she had been 
receiving her loathsome income. 

In her present state of mind she would much rather 
take into her stomach the most poisonous drug known 
to the medical profession than to take food that had 

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been purchased with money that represented the price 
of young girls' virtue. 

She could scarcely wait for 3 p.m. of the next day 
to come. And when it did some she was ringing 
Elder Guide's door-bell. She was received by the 
whole family with all possible cordiality and Chris- 
tian fellowship. As soon as the three were in a 
room to themseves, she said : 

"I don't want to appear hasty, but while I myself 
have received unspeakable joy I must say that my cup 
of joy is not yet full. Not but what I have been re- 
joicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory over 
the pardon of all my past sins — not that. But, oh, 
Brother and Sister Guide, my poor girls, my poor 
girls, my poor girls ! Oh, h-o-w c-a-n I s-t-a-n-d it ?" 

Then she wept and mourned and cried as if her 
heart would break. The minister and wife both wept 
with her. And when they were all able to control 
their emotions, he said : 

"My sister, what is their state of mind, and what do 
you think can be done for them ? We, and the whole 
church, stand in readiness to go anywhere and do 
anything that will assist in any way, directly or in- 
directly, in bringing immortal souls to Christ and 
salvation." 

"When I think of those poor girls, where I found 
them, the pressure that I brought to bear upon them, 
and the horrible beasts that I employed as instru- 
ments to bring them to where they are now, my 
whole, black, revolting life comes up before me in 
such a way that I wonder why God did not simply 
cause the earth to open and swallow me up. 

"Of the twenty girls there are not more than three 
or four but who desire above everything else in this 
world to get out and away from their present way 
qf living. I say it reverently, but I doubt seriously if 

*$6 



3n& mm 3Jt ^DouID OBe 



God himself can loathe the lives that they are now 
living more than they do themselves. 

"Now, I have told you all. And the unreasonable 
request that I want to make of you is for you two to 
meet me at my apartments to-morrow at 3 p.m. Til 
have the girls present, and I want you to receive 
them, one at a time, in a separate room, and get their 
several stories from their own lips, and, if possible, 
help me to meet their demands." 

This was an astounding revelation to both. They 
had always thought that the girls not only went there, 
but remained there, from choice. 

"Yes, indeed," said the minister. "Of course, we 
will be there." 

The next day when they appeared at the apart- 
ments they found everything just as Miss Loveby had 
represented it, and in the course of a very few days 
they had all arrangements made to leave the place in 
different directions and locate in as many different 
places, doing the very things that their parents 
thought they were doing, and, indeed, very few peo- 
ple ever knew whence they came, and those few who 
did know were members of the Eighth and Hill 
church, and for Christ's sake, and for the souls of the 
girls, would not mention it. 

It would be perfectly safe to say that Betty Loveby 
was now easily the happiest woman on the top of 
God's green earth, and her girls next. No mother 
ever thought more of her own daughters, and no 
daughters ever thought more of their own mothers. 
And no congregation ever thought more of members 
than the Eighth and Hill congregation did of these, 
because of the awful tribulation out of which the 
congregation had assisted in rescuing them. 



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CHAPTER XIX. 

THE AGREEABLE SURPRISE. 

Judge Gross and Emily Church were both strong 
natures. They have both been travelling toward the 
same point, but from different angles, until now they 
are not only within calling distance, but they are 
within speaking distance. 

He is drawing her, and has been from the time 
that her eyes first beheld him, with a mysterious 
power that he cannot understand himself. She is also 
drawing him by the same or similar power, something 
more than the spirit of sex. They both possess physi- 
cal, moral and mental strength to a marked degree. 
If they walk together or separate, they attract attention. 

People will naturally, without even thinking or 
offering an apology or giving any reason for it, take a 
good, square look at them when they pass, and some 
have been known to actually stop, turn around and 
look after them and say to the next person they 
meet, though he may be a total stranger : 

"Isn't that couple the finest specimens of our race 
that you ever saw?" 

If they talk, there is something about their style 
of conversation that lulls all others into profound 
silence, makes appreciative auditors of them, and 
gives them, the speakers, the right of way. If they 
take positions, there is such manifest depth to all 
that they say that all others, even those who differ 
from them, remain the same quiet and appreciative 
auditors, and are always edified. 

But between these two there was a point of dif- 
ference. This, however, instead of causing enmity 
between them, as is often the case, seemed to have 

i 3 8 



ana mm it sijoiiid ase 



had the strange and unusual effect of drawing them 
closer together and endearing them to each other. 

As he had told her that he would look forward to 
their next meeting with constantly increasing inter- 
est, true to his promise, the thought had scarcely been 
out of his mind for a minute. 

"Why should she have such a wonderful power over 
me?" he would say to himself. "It just seems to 
me when I see or think of her that things are not ap- 
portioned properly. Look at her and then look at 
Lucy Mugford, for instance. She makes great pre- 
tensions, thinks a great deal of herself, and every- 
body can see that she feels that she is a beautiful 
woman. But it is debatable whether she could con- 
vince another of that fact, if it be a fact. 

"With Miss Church one doesn't have to ask, be 
told, or tell about her beauty. It is not a debatable 
subject; it is not even a subject of conversation. 
For, when one sees her, there her beauty is; it needs 
no defense or explanation — it speaks for itself. 

"The poise of her head, shoulders and entire form 
is most attractive. Then the delicate lines of her 
long, beautiful throat, as it supports a head, glori- 
fied with great sweeps of luxuriant blonde hair, ar- 
ranged with the taste of an artist, her mouth with a 
complete absence of coquetry and roguishness — a 
fountain from which nothing but the sweetest, most 
tender and helpful of things ever flow — and great 
blue eyes, as attractive and full of life as the rose — 
all combined make her a personage simply bewilder- 
ing. To me she is a dream! 

"I cannot help but think of her. I cannot help but 
desire to be with her. I cannot help but admire and 
love her. I don't want to help it. It would not be 
manly and worthy of me to do so. I would think 

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very disparagingly of myself if I could see nothing 
in a being like that to admire and love. 

"With her my happiness would be complete. And 
I fear that I would become an easy victim to the 
doctrine of eternal happiness, or anything else that 
she believes in." 

Miss Church was deeply religious, but to save her 
life she could not keep similar thoughts concerning 
him from passing through her mind. She would 
frequently say to herself : 

"I have seen many whom I had every reason to 
think were very much inclined toward me. Did not 
their words and actions tell me so? I honored and 
respected them, but for some reason I did not feel 
inclined toward them. I did not think that any of 
them could make me happy, and I did not think that 
I could make any of them happy. 

"But here is a magnificent man, with magnificent 
abilities and a magnificent character, who tells me by 
his words and actions that he loves me. I can't get 
away from him, and I don't want to get away. What 
does it all mean? I say, without blushing, that I 
greatly desire to see him right now. I am exceedingly 
anxious for the time for our next meeting to come, 
when I can spring the promised pleasant surprise 
upon him. He will receive it kindly, it will bring us 
that much closer together, and we will see each other 
oftener." 

The time set for their next meeting has come. All 
nature seems to endorse the appointment and hope- 
fully look for it to result in the furtherance of the 
happiness of both. It might have been simply a no- 
tion of this couple — it is of most all other young peo- 
ple — that they can think better, talk better and settle 
more difficult questions if they can drive out into the 

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country. Especially is this true if they have a proper 
conveyance. 

Old Ben was never more happy than when he was 
serving "Marse Nevin. ,, When he is doing a thing 
for him it always goes without saying that it is 
being done in the very best way of which he is capa- 
ble. And that means everything, when it comes to 
preparing driving horses for occasions like this. 

He always seemed to rise to the importance of the 
occasion, as the Judge himself does. And one would 
think, from the actions of Roanoke, that he, too, by 
his animal instinct, judges of the importance of the 
occasion by the preparation that old Ben gives him. 

On this special occasion, in order that he might 
not be in the least handicapped, Ben took the precau- 
tion to tie the dogs. For in his judgment the dogs 
frequently underestimated a great many things. And 
he knew, from past experience and observation, that 
it was highly probable that they would in their hilar- 
ity over the thought of a possible chance to go some- 
where interfere with his work. 

Ben had a habit of talking and explaining the 
meaning of things and the importance of the same to 
the horse while he was grooming him. 

"Ro'nok, old hoss, yo' all mus' jist look fo' de 
wo'ld lak ah bird. An' yo' mus' ac' jist as good as 
yo' all looks. Fo' Marse Nevin is goin' on impo'tant 
business dis sher time. Yaas, suh, he sho' is. An' 
ef he fails in bus'ness to-day, we sho' be 'sponsible. 
And we ain't gwine t' let dem air good fo' nuffin 
dogs int'fere wid our own bus'ness." 

The Judge had gone out to speak to Ben about 
something, but hearing talk he approached until he 
was able to overhear the above. And it so amused 
him that he returned without interrupting him. 

When Roanoke and the buggy were presented in 

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front, they looked as if they were ready to race for 
ten thousand dollars. And when the Judge entered 
the buggy, he did not mar the already beautiful pic- 
ture in the least, but served as an important addi- 
tional touch. 

Still it was a picture unfinished until Miss Church 
joined them. But when she, as a sweet, healthful, 
fresh rose, just this minute plucked from the garden, 
took her place by his side, the picture was then the 
very acme of perfection. 

Roanoke was one of those horses with high life 
and splendid spirit, but sensible withal. He was not 
chewing on the bit and prancing around, thereby 
making it exceedingly difficult to enter the buggy, 
or liable to trip them when they did make the at- 
tempt. Through the instruction of Ben he learned 
to take it for granted that his master understood ex- 
actly what he wanted him to do. So he stood per- 
fectly still and waited for orders. 

But his master did not see proper to issue orders 
until he and Miss Church passed more than casual 
glances at each other. The sun was shining at just 
such a degree and at such an angle as to give the 
most pleasing effect possible. 

"Did more beautiful harmony ever exist?" he said 
to himself as he sat by her side, looking affectionately 
into her charming face. "I have no desire to be else- 
where/' 

"I thought that I admired, honored and loved him 
before/' she was saying to herself, "but he has either 
changed in his personal appearance or we are in more 
perfect accord to-day than ever before." 

He gave Roanoke the word, and they were gone. 
The weather was neither too cold nor too hot — the air 
was just right. There was not a cloud to be seen, and 
the pure, clear sunlight of heaven fitly represented 

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their devotion to each other, the purity of their desires 
and the beautiful harmony that pervaded their hearts. 

True, they were on their way at this very mo- 
ment to at least partially settle a point of difference 
between them, but still, as paradoxical as it may seem, 
perfect harmony and more than harmony prevailed 
between them. They were one in the most important 
sense of that term. To them everything seemed to 
be beautiful, harmonious and happy. 

The rippling, rollicking brook along the roadside, 
the cattle that dashed afield upon their approach, man- 
ifestly not through fear, but to display the fact that 
they w T ere really enjoying life. And the birds that 
sang their love songs, as they flitted from branch to 
branch in the trees, which seemed themselves to clap 
their hands with joy. Everything was life and peace 
and joy. 

Where was this couple bound for at this time? 
Where could they go except to the spring? And 
where could they sit except in the natural seat in the 
sycamore? Was it not there that they entered upon 
their present work of settling the only difference be- 
tween them? And was it not there that they made 
a degree of progress, and, in all probability, prepared 
the way to the final settlement of the question ? Then 
why should they think of going elsewhere? 

Being seated once more in that seat which was 
rapidly enshrining itself in both of their hearts, he 
said: 

"My dear Miss Church, I know that I do not want 
to appear at all hasty, and I do not want you to think 
me at all unhappy, for I am not. True, there are 
some things to be settled, things that appear to me 
to be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to settle. 

"But, because you have given me positive assur- 
ance that they can be settled satisfactorily and be- 

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cause of my utmost confidence in you, I do not allow 
them to mar my present happiness in the least. But 
now I am more anxious than I can tell to receive that 
pleasant surprise that you promised for me to-day. 

"For you have as much as intimated to me that this 
pleasant surprise will thoroughly prepare the way for 
the final settlement of the point of difference between 
us, that is, my unbelief in the inspiration and authen- 
ticity of the Bible. I am now ready for the surprise." 

With a charming and gracious look of positive 
certainty that made it extremely difficult for him to 
refrain from taking her into his arms and pressing her 
sweet, red lips to his own, she said sweetly: 

"My dear Mr. Gross, you remember that you re- 
ferred to the crippled young man who was a com- 
parative stranger in this city, and how two certain 
men and a young lady administered unto his and his 
partner's wants until the afflicted one became suffi- 
ciently convalescent to return to his work?" 

"I remember it very well. And I must say that I 
never heard of anything that impressed me more fav- 
orably." 

"Do you remember also of having made the remark 
in this connection that if the churches were engaged 
in this same kind of work, it would not be a very 
difficult matter to make a believer of you?" 

"I made that statement then, and I make it again 
to-day. Why, if there were one church to be found 
in this city which is engaged in so doing, they could 
not possibly keep me out of it." 

"Judge Gross, I want to ask you if you have the 
least idea who the two gentlemen and the young lady 
who waited on the crippled man are?" 

"I do not, for they never even told the young men 
their names, and they did not ask the young men who 
they were." 

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"Well, I happen to know them all and know them 
well. And, by the way, they know the young men's 
names now, and the young men know their names. 
They have all become lifelong friends and co- 
workers." 

"What, you know them? Miss Church, do you 
know them?" 

"I certainly do. And, as I have said before, I 
know them well, too." 

"Pray, do tell me who they are, for I want to 
look them up and praise them for their kindly acts 
and make their acquaintance." 

"Would you be surprised if I should tell you 
that you are alreadv acquainted with at least one of 
them?" 

"It would certainly be a very great surprise to 
me. 

"Would it be a pleasant or an unpleasant surprise 
to you to learn that you are not only acquainted, but 
well acquainted, with some of these people whom you 
have pronounced good and so very good?" 

"It would be the most pleasant surprise of my life." 

"Well, that is the pleasant surprise that I am so 
well prepared to spring upon you this moment, in 
keeping with my promise to you at our last meeting." 

"Please do tell me then who they are?" 

"I myself am the young lady." 

Upon hearing this announcement, he partly sprang 
to his feet, saying, "What, you don't mean it ?" 

"Yes, I do mean it. I am the young lady." 

His face then took upon it the expression of one in 
most profound thought — as one gradually becoming 
conscious of the fact that the light of truth is slowly 
dawning upon him and driving the darkness out of 
his heart and life. 

All this time he was looking directly into her eyes, 

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but did not seem to realize it. She realized the situ- 
ation — the change that his mind was undergoing, and 
would not have spoken a word to him for the world. 
For she realized that if that spell should be broken 
that change in his mind might never be made. 

Finally, as if awaking out of a dream, or coming 
out of a trance, he said : 

"Miss Church, to me you are the dearest object on 
this earth! To me you are everything! You are 
wisdom, energy, power, goodness, life — all in one! 
But why should I not have anticipated that you were 
that precious angel of mercy ? For the first time that 
I ever saw you, you were on a mission of mercy, and 
you told me then that that was your business. I be- 
lieved it then, and now I realize it. But the kindest 
and most merciful thing, perhaps, that you have ever 
done is your dealings and patience with me." 

"My dear, you do certainly have the most charm- 
ing way of saying things. You have, as yet, received 
but the remotest inkling of the pleasant surprise that 
I have for you." 

"What, more to follow? Why, I have already re- 
ceived more than I had even anticipated." 

"Yes, it is most all to follow yet." 

"I declare to you, Miss Church, you are opening 
the windows of heaven, as it were, and pouring out 
blessings upon me more than I am able to receive!" 

"Yes, you can and must receive it all and receive 
it now. The two men, to whom you referred, were 
our minister and one of the elders of the congregation. 
Besides, quite a number of the other members of the 
church helped those young men. And the boys appre- 
ciated it so much that they are now with us, have be- 
come Christians, and are now hard at work and con- 
stantly on the alert for opportunities to help in cases 
similar to their own." 

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ana mm m §douid nst 



"Oh, I now begin to see. The light that began to 
dawn upon me at your first announcement is growing 
brighter as you gradually unfold the pleasant sur- 
prise. You mean to tell me that it was the church 
helping those boys ?" 

"It was, and you remember what you said about the 
home on Bond street?" 

"I remember that I said that is the work that the 
church should be doing. And that if the church were 
doing that kind of work, then, but not until then, 
would I believe that the church is right/' 

"That is our home. It was conceived, built and 
kept up by the Eighth and Hill congregation. It was 
our minister whom you overheard talking to Tom 
Douey, and it was our congregation that received 
Betty Loveby, liberated her girls and found them em- 
ployment. And this is the character of work in which 
the congregation is engaged all the time. The rea- 
son that we are thus engaged is not simply because 
we think and know it is right, but because the Bible 
teaches it." 

"Miss Church, I would not have missed this hour 
for all this world. For it has not only been all that 
you have promised — a pleasant surprise — but it has 
been exceedingly, abundantly, more ! It has been a 
perfect revelation to me ! I had no idea that there was 
a church in this city thus engaged. But why do you 
not publish what you are doing and let the world 
know it?" 

"Judge Gross, the Bible says, 'Let not your left 
hand know what your right hand doeth.' And 'What 
you do in secret God will reward you openly.' " 

"Bless my soul ! I am not only surprised, but I 
am utterly astonished at the wonderful things that 
you are doing, the spirit in which you are doing your 
work, and your ability to give Scripture for every 

H7. 



OTat tfje Cf)utc6 1$ 



step that you take. You are well aware of the fact 
that that is exactly what I have always believed in 
and the spirit in which I have always thought work 
of that kind should be done. But never before did 
I know that there was a church in the world that 
was doing it. In fact, that is the charge that I have 
always made against the churches. " 

"I know that, dear, and for that and other reasons 
I have made an exception of your case. For you made 
it very clear to me that your salvation depended, in 
a large measure, upon the information that I have 
given you this hour. I have not told you in order 
to advertise the church or to boast of what the church 
is doing, but as a stepping-stone to the salvation of 
your soul. 

'The Savior said, What doth it profit a man if 
he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?' 
That is to say, your soul, whose eternal destiny is to 
be fixed by the way in which you live in this world, 
is of greater value than the combined wealth of the 
world. 

"I am not, but if I should be permitted to make a 
difference, I know that, of all the souls in the world, 
I would give yours the preference." 

"Now, my dear Miss Church, you have redeemed 
all your promises to me, and you have done infi- 
nitely more than I had anticipated. And now I pro- 
pose to redeem my promise to you that if the church 
were doing these things it would not be difficult to 
make a believer of me. You have shown that at 
least one church is doing it, and now it is my turn 
to do something. As I now see it, there is but one 
single point to be settled (and your pleasant surprise 
has abundantly prepared the way for that), that is, as 
to the inspiration and authenticity of the Christian 
Scriptures. For, of course, you would not ask me 

148 



mn mm it ^ouid i5e 



to, and, indeed, I could not accept them without first 
thoroughly and most critically examining them." 

"Certainly not, and that is exactly why I told 
you at the beginning that the point of difference could 
not be settled in an hour or even a day. I know that 
you never could simply take anything for granted, 
especially as important a matter as this. 

"And the reason that I have been so happy and so 
confident all the time is because I know that you are 
absolutely honest, and that you desire nothing, and 
will be satisfied with nothing, but the truth. I have 
positive assurance, from the Word of God, that any 
one will believe and know who will honestly investi- 
gate the Word. 

"Jesus said, 'If any man will do his will he shall 
know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether 
I speak of myself/ " 

"Miss Church, by the time we shall meet again I 
promise you that I will have investigated the Word 
of God. And I will make an honest effort to be 
able to spring as great and as pleasant a surprise 
upon you then, and possibly before, as you have upon 
me this time." 

They both returned, if possible, more happy than 
when they left. For both realized that they had 
made material advancement toward the solution of the 
vexed problem as to what a man will give in ex- 
change for his soul. 

CHAPTER XX. 

THE "HIPPO CLUB." 

Always, when we think of a club, we Have in mind 
an organization that has been instituted for some spe- 
cific purpose; for social pleasures, literary improve- 

149 



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ment, to propagate some important theory, or to pro- 
mote some important enterprise. 

We have learned to think of the members as thor- 
oughly officered and ready for business. We see them 
in their meetings proceeding in a perfectly orderly 
way to arise, one after another, in response to their 
names, according to the previously arranged plan, 
and give the club the result of their close study and 
vigorous efforts since their names were placed upon 
the programme. Thus the speakers have added ma- 
terially to their own store of knowledge, and the en- 
tire club has been edified. 

But not so with the so-called "Hippo Club." It 
has no organization at all, and never did have. And 
hence it never had any programmes. No one was 
ever called upon to inform himself on some special 
topic and give the club the benefit of his acquired 
information. 

Why it should be called a club no one seems to have 
any idea. And the name of the club came from the 
same realm of uncertainties. The place of meeting 
was the large barn of an office, occupied by old "Doc" 
Spondug, who had come to this city several years 
before, could not pass the required medical examina- 
tion, but was trying, in violation of the law, to prac- 
tise anyway. 

The walls of this office were large, barren and 
dingy looking. In one corner was a grimy, nasty- 
looking old out-of-date desk that he had purchased 
from some second-hand store when he first came to 
Bidwell. In this miserable old desk were a number 
of bottles of different sizes, some of which contained 
from a few drops to a half-bottle full of medicine, 
but the most of them were empty. 

Scattered around the room were many old chairs, 
every one of which had been broken down many times 

ISO 



ana mm it %|)ouid jst 



and as often nailed together again, and supported by 
ill-shaped pieces of boards and planks. In addition 
they had a half dozen or a dozen large, old-fashioned, 
open-topped cuspidors, filled with ashes, setting 
around promiscuously all over the room. 

This was the home of the "Hippo Club." What 
does the reader think of it? If you ever happen to 
be passing through the city of Bidwell, you might 
make it a point to stop off and visit the "Hippo." 

The meetings are all informal, and begin when old 
Doc "lights up" (there were no electric lights in the 
old office) and continue until old Doc becomes tired 
and sleepy and announces that he has to go home 
and go to bed. 

Among the prominent, influential and most regu- 
lar attendants I might mention Mit Sniggle, Nat 
Gulper, "Codfish" Winky, Gan Loper, "Soapy" 
Bumps and many others. These, however, are the 
leading lights. 

Of course, I do not mean in any way to disparage 
old Doc. For it is always understood that he is the 
high muck-a-muck. Or, to change the figure, he is 
the full orb around which all the lesser lights revolve. 

Old Doc posed as the leading infidel of all that 
part of the city, and, as he had at some time in his 
life read a few articles in the newspapers on science, 
he claimed to have gone very deep into the subject. 

And, having committed to memory a few scientific 
terms, while sitting in the club he would draw one 
of the large cuspidors close to him, take a wad of 
strong tobacco as large as a walnut into his mouth, 
cross his feet over the corner of his old desk, then 
juggle with his scientific terms until the crowd would 
sit and listen with open ears, eyes and mouths in utter 
astonishment at the wisdom of the man. 

In connection with his juggling with his scientific 

151 



OTjat tfje Cfjurcft Ssf 



terms, he would always make it a point to mention, as 
a fact, that he had met and silenced this preacher, 
that teacher and that scientist until, in discussing 
him in his absence, the boys would say : 

"Jist to look at him no one would take him fur a 
smart man. But jist let one of them college fellers 
tackle him onct. Then you may look out — the fur is 
goin' to fly. They all know him. Not that he has bin 
afoul of 'em all, but them that he has skinned alive 
tells the other fellers." 

He also claims to be a great Scriptorian — says that 
he has read the Bible one hundred times. And be- 
tween squirts of almost blood-red amber, he would 
pour forth what he called quotations from the Scrip- 
tures. Of course, the boys could not tell whether it 
was Scriptures, Shakespere or Dickens, for they had 
never read any of them. Their confidence in old Doc 
was such that he could say anything, and they would 
take it for granted that it was just as he said. 

And by their usual style of reasoning they would 
conclude and say : "He is so well posted on the Bible 
that all the preachers are afraid of him. Not one 
can be found who will meet him in public discussion." 

He deceived his crowd completely, but himself more 
completely, as it were. At first he knew that he was 
not well informed, but afterwards he asserted his 
knowledge so often that his audience not only be- 
lieved, but they were such ardent admirers on ac- 
count of his deceit that he finally came to believe it 
himself. 

And just as soon as he came to this conclusion he 
became somewhat overbearing, attacking the minis- 
ters whenever and wherever he met them. Most of 
the ministers, knowing his ignorant and rough, un- 
couth way of thinking, would simply let him talk. 

He, like his admirers, would jump at the conclusion 

152 



and OTmt It ^Doulo T5e 



that the ministers were afraid of him because they 
refused to talk with him. And in referring to it, when 
talking to the club about it, he would call it another 
"back-down." 

So many "back-downs" gave him such confidence in 
himself that, thinking the importance of the subject 
justified it, his zeal for once caused him to stand up 
and address the club. 

"Boys," said he, "I don't propose to mince matters 
any longer. If you will all agree to be present to- 
morrow (Sunday) night, I propose to beard the lion 
in his den. I propose to carry the battle into the ene- 
my's camp. Meet me at the Eighth and Hill street 
church and watch me attack and expose old Elder 
Guide, as they call him, in his own pulpit and in the 
presence of his own admiring members. They will 
not be so ardent in their admiration of him, however, 
when I get through with him. He will need some 
one to guide him." 

"I'll tell you, fellers, old Doc is all right. He ain't 
afeard of nuthin'," said Sniggle. 

"You bet he ain't," said Winky. "And we will all 
be thar, too, and don't you furgit it. It will be bet- 
ter'n a circus. Doc, we want you to do your dirtiest." 

"Boys, I'll take it off in flakes as broad as your 
hand. I'll skin him and hang his old hide out on the 
fence to dry." 

"Haw ! haw ! haw !" all laughing at his striking fig- 
ures of speech. 

The time came, and the club was there en masse to 
plume and feather their champion as soon as his easy 
walk-over was accomplished. Old Doc was over-cor- 
pulent — he was fat, low-browed, a beastly looking 
being, and his crowd, as one would naturally suppose, 
were generally narrow between the eyes, with weak 

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mouths, and some of them scarcely had any chins 
at all. 

In their extreme weakness they had so much con- 
fidence in their old leader that they were as anxious 
for him to get at it as a crowd at the race tracks for 
the races to begin. He sat and looked as pompous 
and dignified as he knew how, with his eyes fixed 
upon the pulpit where the minister was soon to ap- 
pear with the intensity of the hunter, gun in hand, 
watching a point where he is certain that big game is 
soon to appear. His admirers scarcely took their eyes 
off him, but watched him admiringly and, at the 
same time, exulting over the victory that he was 
soon to win. 

They were saying to themselves, "Oh, but I would 
hate to be in that feller's shoes. When old Doc gets 
through with him, his hide will not hold shucks. He 
will look like a chawed cat. Wonder what his peo- 
ple will think of their preacher ?" At the thought of 
the prospective scene, they could not help but chuckle 
a little to save their lives. 

By and by the tall, not extravagantly, but neatly 
dressed iron-gray gentleman appeared in the pulpit. 
A more refined, cultured and pure-looking man never 
appeared before an audience. 

After the usual introduction he entered upon his 
sermon proper. Among other things he incidentally 
made use of the word "hell," when this monstrous 
thing in human form bawled out, "I don't believe 
there is any such a place as hell.^ And a distinct 
snicker was heard all over the auditorium, emanat- 
ing from his own crowd. 

One of them, not any more enthusiastic than the 
rest, but just a little more daring, was heard to say, 
"Gol, but that was a centre shot. One or two more 
like that and he will go down." 

154 



aitD OTjat M Should JSe 



While the loud, untrained voice at this time was to 
the audience like a thunder-clap from a clear sky, 
Elder Guide, known far and near for being calm un- 
der all circumstances, and equal to any situation, was 
not at all shocked, but looked around calmly until he 
discovered the speaker, when he said in the same 
kind, even tone of voice: 

"I notice that you are becoming quite gray, so you 
will soon find out," and went right on with his dis- 
course exactly as if nothing had happened. 

The boys' snicker ceased, and they looked in blank 
astonishment to think that old Doc had finally met one 
kind, benevolent-looking minister who was not afraid 
of him, and had, with wonderful tact, caught the point 
of his first thrust and not only turned it aside, but 
turned it back upon old Doc himself in such a way 
that it made him wince. 

They had thought (simply because old Doc had told 
them so) that all of the ministers were afraid of him 
and utterly helpless when in his power. They had 
never thought of there being an exception. 

Doc turned red with anger, and it was the audi- 
ence's time to smile, which they did in spite of them- 
selves. 

A little later in his discourse he remarked that 
"Paul said" something. And the old infidel, fired by 
his first failure, fairly roared out this time, "But I 
don't believe what old Paul said." 

Without raising or lowering his voice, the minis- 
ter parenthetically, as it were, replied, "If you will 
not believe what Paul says, you are not very apt to be- 
lieve what I say," and went right on with his dis- 
course again as if no one had even attempted to in- 
terrupt him. 

The members of the "Hippo" began to wish that 
they had not come, and Doc became insanely mad, 

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but was afraid to make another sally while the Elder 
was talking, for he knew that he was very likely to 
be let down harder every time. 

When Elder Guide had finished his powerful and 
eminently Scriptural discourse, in spite of Doc's at- 
tempted interruptions, and had closed with just as 
wonderful an exhortation, the old infidel, knowing that 
the boys were all thinking that he had found one man 
of whom he was afraid, and one who, in their own 
judgment, was too much for him, was now determined 
to regain his lost ground and drive his opponent 
home, so to speak. So he arose and said : 

"Elder Guide, did I understand you to say that 
hell is literally fire and brimstone?" 

"I don't know what you understood me to say," 
said the minister. 

"Well, didn't this audience understand you to say 
that?" 

"No, sir." 

"I understood you to say that, and I am a part of 
this audience." 

"Yes, indeed, and a very small part, too. Let us 
look to the Lord and be dismissed." 

He pronounced the benediction in exactly the same 
way and in the same tone that he would have done if 
Doc and his gang had not been there. 

His wonderful poise while under public fire aston- 
ished the elders and older members. They knew that 
he was a scholar and determined, but never thought 
once of his being so ready in the face of an unex- 
pected opponent. 

And we must not charge it against the Christianity 
of the younger members if they did smile just a little 
when they looked over and saw old Doc's confusion. 
Also, we are not to think the case of the non-members 
present hopelessly difficult even if they did laugh out- 

156 



and mm it mourn *m 



right during the pronunciation of the benediction. For 
the provocation to laugh was so sudden and rare that 
it was exceedingly difficult, if not utterly impossible, 
to withstand it. 

Almost by the time that the preacher let his voice 
fall Doc was up in front to have it out with him. The 
audience, seeing him rush forward, instead of retir- 
ing, resumed their seats. 

Doc's friends would have gone forward, too, if they 
had had as much confidence in their leader as they 
had when they came. But thus far they had heard 
nothing to strengthen their confidence in him, but the 
reverse. 

They thought that if he made no better progress 
than he had already made, it would be sufficiently try- 
ing on their nerves where they were. 

"I want you to understand, sir," said Doc, "that I 
am no plaything. I am no tyro. I am a scientist. 
For years I have made a close, systematic study of 
the various sciences." 

Some of the members thought, "Well, if he is a sci- 
entist, he may prove too much for Elder Guide yet." 
And they were just a little apprehensive. 

"Will you," said the minister, "kindly give me the 
names of some of the authors whose scientific works 
you have investigated?" 

"Let me see — why — ah — oh — ah — why, I can't 
think of all of them." 

"You need not mention all of them. If you will 
kindly mention just a few, it will answer every pur- 
pose." 

"Upon my word ! To save my life" — snap went 
his finger. "Now, I have it — no, I haven't, either. 
I thought sure that I had the name of a little com- 
plete arrangement that I used to study, but it went 
from me just like that," snapping his fingers again. 

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taifjat tfje Qlhuuh 1$ 



"If you will name a single author, it will suffice for 
the present, inasmuch as your usually splendid mem- 
ory seems to fail you at this time." 

"No, sir, I cannot recall a single author." 

"You don't mean to tell me that you have been a 
close student of scientific works for all these years 
and can't think of the name of a single author, do 
you?" 

"Not one, I am ashamed to say." 

Again the audience, seeing his confusion, brought 
about by the most gentle forbearance that they had 
ever seen, could not help manifesting, unconsciously 
and unintentionally, not only their knowledge of the 
fact, but their satisfaction as well. And Doc could 
not help but see it. 

"I cannot account for my forgetting them all in 
any other way than from the fact that, for the last 
few years, I dropped the immediate study of the sci- 
ences and have devoted my time exclusively to the 
study of the Scriptures. And I tell you now, if I 
don't know the Scriptures, no one does," said the re- 
doubtable Doc. 

"I have read the Bible through a hundred times. 
And I am now prepared to prove, by both internal 
and external evidence, that the Scriptures are all false 
— nothing but a bundle of old musty manuscripts, 
full of contradictions, inconsistencies and incongrui- 
ties." 

One of the boys said, " Jist listen to that, will you ? 
That has the right ring. It sounds like it does down 
at the office. He seems to be gettin' himself to- 
gether now. Maybe he is agoin' to win out after 
all." 

"He will, and don't you furgit it," said Mit Snig- 
gle. "Jist look at them eyes of his'n and, while you 
are at it, jist take a squint at them double fists. He 

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had ought to a commenced on the Scripter in the 
first place, and then it would have bin all over now, 
and we would be on our way home howling over our 
victory/' 

For a few brief moments they forgot all about what 
had passed, and the thought of his finally coming 
out gloriously victorious took complete possession of 
them for the time being. 

But Elder Guide, nothing daunted by his boasted 
arrogance, said as quietly as before : 

"Do you say that you have read the Bible through 
one hundred times ?" 

"That is exactly what I said, sir." 

"Then you must be by far the best informed man 
in the Scriptures that it has ever been my good for- 
tune to meet." 

"No doubt of it, sir, no doubt of it. For I presume 
that it would be somewhat difficult to find a church 
member who has read it straight through even once." 

"I know, as a matter of fact, that comparatively 
few church members have done even that much. But 
inasmuch as you are the best Scriptorian whom this 
congregation has ever seen, will you be so kind as to 
quote the first verse of the first chapter of Genesis?" 

After a long, oppressive pause, Doc's face became 
crimson, his eyes fell, and both hands went into his 
pockets, while his boys, who had been leaning for- 
ward with their elbows on the backs of the seat in 
front of them, fell back into their own seats simul- 
taneously, and with such a crash that it caused almost 
the entire audience to turn and look that way. 

"I can't quote it just now, and there is no use for 
me to try," said Doc. 

"Quote a few verses from the first Psalm, then." 

"I cannot." 

"The twenty-third Psalm." 

*59 



OTjat tfje Cfjurcf) M 



"I can't." 

"The ninety-first." 

"I can't." 

'The first verse of the first chapter of the New 
Testament." 

"I can't." 

"Just one single verse in all the Bible." 

"I can't." 

"Do you mean to tell me that you have read the 
Bible through one hundred times, and still you are 
unable to quote a single verse in all the book ?" 

"I told you that I cannot, and what do you keep on 
asking the question for?" 

"I simply wanted to be certain that I thoroughly 
understood you, that was all." 

"I have been on the defensive thus far, and I am so 
bothered that I can scarcely think of anything. I 
now want to place you on the defensive for a while, 
and I want to show this audience that you can be both- 
ered, too. I will show that your whole business is 
wrong. 

"Is it not a fact that you pose here as a teacher of 
the way of salvation for the souls of men?" 

"I do claim to be teaching men the right way for 
the salvation of their souls as well as my own," said 
the minister. 

"But how do you know that you have a soul? 
Did you ever see a soul?" 

"No, sir, I never saw a soul in all my life." 

"Did you ever hear a soul?" 

"I never did." 

"Did you ever taste a soul?" 

"I never tasted a soul." 

"Did you ever smell a soul?" 

"Never." 

"Did you ever feel a soul ?" 

i6q 



and mm it ^fjouUi -Be 



"Yes, sir, I have felt a soul. I have felt my own 
soul. For some reason, I feel that I am superior to 
the horse that I drive, the dog that follows me about, 
or the cat lying on the door-mat. Yes, I think that I 
have felt a soul/' 

"Now, can you not see at a glance that you are mis- 
taken in all this? For here you have five witnesses 
present, and when they are all called upon to testify 
concerning a matter in which they are all interested, 
four of them say that they know absolutely nothing, 
while one says that it does. To accept your theory 
of religion, or the existence of the soul, you have to 
accept the testimony of one single witness and reject 
the testimony of four, whose testimony, upon any 
other subject, will be taken just as readily as this 
one." 

"But, Doctor, do you not pose as a man whose busi- 
ness it is to relieve pain?" 

"That is my business, sir. And I feel that I and 
men of my profession are making a great deal better 
showing than the ministers are at theirs." 

"How do you know that there is such a thing as 
pain? Did you ever see a pain?" 

"I never did." 

"Did you ever taste a pain?" 

"I never tasted a pain." 

"Did you ever hear a pain ?" 

"No, sir, I did not." 

"Did you ever smell a pain?" 

"It is impossible." 

"Then did you ever feel a pain?" 

"Most certainly, I have." 

"How can you intelligently deny the existence of 
the human soul on the ground that the testimony of 
four witnesses present outweigh one in the affirma- 
tive, and then affirm the existence of pain in the 

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human body when the testimony of the same four 
witnesses have to be rejected and the testimony of only 
one is to be accepted? Do you reject the existence of 
the soul because it is my business and accept the the- 
ory of pain because it is your own business?" 

By the time that the minister reached his final ques- 
tion Doc was not only insanely mad, but his wrath 
was at ocean fury. And one of the boys, seeing that 
it was about to burst forth and spend itself upon the 
entire congregation, or sympathizing with Elder 
Guide, called: 

"Aw, come on, Doc, you old fool; you have made 
asses of the whole kit of us I" 

They then all left the room chagrined, shame- 
faced and old Doc terribly crestfallen. 

"Shall we have them arrested for disturbing pub- 
lic worship ?" inquired one man, who was not a mem- 
ber of the church." 

"Oh, no ! no ! no I" said Elder Guide, "for they know 
not what they do." 

Judge Gross, who was now studying the Bible by 
day and by night to see whether it was true, was pres- 
ent that evening, and said later, "That was the 
shrewdest management of a difficult situation that I 
ever witnessed." 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE NEXT EVENING. 

The next evening all who had been in the habit of 
attending the "Hippo" were present, and many others 
who had heard of the episode at the church came 
past to see old Doc and learn how he was feeling 
about it. Although the office was lighted up, Doc was 

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out to see a patient (so he explained when he re- 
turned), and did not get in for an hour after the 
members and others had assembled. And while they 
were waiting, why, of course, they had to "kill" time 
talking. And in order to talk they necessarily had to 
have something to talk about, although it must be 
confessed that an infidel club of the Doc Spondug 
type can come just about as near putting in all their 
time talking about nothing as any institution on earth 
— on the Bible principle that "out of the abundance 
of the heart the mouth speaketh." At any rate, there 
was but one thing that they could talk about this even- 
ing, and that was Doc's encounter with the preacher. 

'Til tell you what, fellers," said Soapy Bumps. 
"By Ned! I was hot under the collar last night! I 
felt jist like I could lick all the sky-pilots that could git 
around me. And if it hadn't a bin jist whar it was, 
I'd a talked kinder sassy-like to 'urn anyway. But 
I have bin stud'n ever since, try'n to make out exactly 
what I was mad about. And, to save my life, I can't 
think uv but one thing, that is, that old Doc was 
one uv our crowd, and our leader, and we didn't want 
to see him beat and his doctrines knocked into a cocked 
hat. No nicer man than Elder Guide ever lived, and 
everybody knows it. I know it, and you fellers know 
it, and even old Doc knows it, but I don't 'spose he'd 
admit it. Think how nice he was dressed, how clean 
he looked, how good he looked, what a kind voice he 
had! I jist could not help but notice the difference in 
the two men in personal appearance and the way they 
controlled their words and tempers. You all thought 
jist as I did, and, boys, you can't deny it. You know 
thar wus as much difference between them as thar 
is between day and night, and all in favor of Elder 
Guide." 

"By George! that's so/' said Winky. "They made 

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OTjat tfje Cfjttrcft 1$ 



me think uv the story uv The Lion and the Lamb' — 
Doc the lion and Elder Guide the lamb." 

"I'll be doggoned if they didn't make me think uv 
rough and ready — Doc the rough and Elder Guide the 
ready/' said Nat Gulper. 

"I have bin think'n a great deal of late," said 
Loper, "not only since, but before the confab with the 
parson. And the more I think, the more I become 
disgusted with myself and every blamed one of you, 
too. We are all a disgrace to ourselves and this beau- 
tiful city." 

"I think the churches air wrong in doctr'n," said 
Sniggles, interrupting while Loper was talking. 

"Fellers," continued Loper, "turn around now, and 
jist you all take a squint at Mit Sniggles there. Git 
a focus on him if you can. Take a look at the shape 
of that head. It looks like a football with the wind 
kicked out'n it. Look at them eyes. They look like 
burnt holes in a blanket. Not a particle of expression 
in them. Look at that nose. It looks like it had bin 
mashed flat fur bein' in other people's bus'ness. Look 
at that chin stuck away up under his throat — jist no 
chin at all. And that mouth stickin' away out in 
front of his face so far that he could bite a pumpkin 
through the crack of the fence and be no trouble to 
him at all. I'll swear, if I should start out and meet 
a half dozen like him at onct, I would come in a full- 
fledged Darwinite." 

"I can give a description o' you better'n your'n is o' 
me," said Sniggles. 

"No doubt of it, Mit, but you 'butted in' when I 
was talkin', and it kinder riled me like, and I was jist 
tellin' you what I thought o' you. I insist upon it 
that my description of Mit is correct. Anybody can 
look at him and tell in a minute that he has no sense." 

Mit was just about to get on his feet in self- 

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&iO mmt M ^ftould -Be 



defence when Loper fixed things by saying : "But he 
is a fair sample of this whole crowd. Just look at the 
personnel. (I wus lookin' in the unabridged diction- 
ary the other day and happened to run onto this word. 
And I swore then, if I ever had an opportunity to 
git it off on this here crowd, I wus goin' to do it.) 

"Honest, don't we look like a lot of baboons? I 
would be ashamed to be caught on the street with 
Sniggles/' Mit got halfway up this time, but Loper 
proceeded to make things satisfactory once more by 
saying: "And I would be ashamed for him to be 
caught on the street with me. I am ashamed of this 
whole crowd, and I hope that the whole crowd is 
ashamed of me. We all jist barely have sense enough 
to come in out of the rain, if it is raining hard enough, 
or maybe dropping hailstones large enough to crack 
our heads. 

"And we jist have sense enough to go to the table 
and eat after it is prepared for us, provided we are 
right hungry and can scent the grub. Yet we set 
around here on these old patched up chairs in this old 
dirty hole of an office in company with as swearin', 
foul-mouthed an old wild-hog as ever lived, and squirt 
our tobacker juice in the direction of these old slop- 
buckets, hit or miss, and call ourselves critics !" 

When he said this, he placed both hands over his 
eyes and turned his back to the crowd, he was so 
ashamed. 

"We criticise the life, teaching and practice of El- 
der Guide ! Think of it ! I'll tell you what we ought 
to do. We ought to convert this club into a 'Mutual 
Kickin' Society,' meet here every night and kick each 
other by the hour," he said. 

"Old Doc made us believe that he was a smart man 
— a scientist and Scriptorian," he said, turning around. 
"We believed him, and why? The only answer to 



OTmt tbt Cfiurcf) 30 



the question is because we have no sense. We don't 
know nuthin'. What was he in the hands of Elder 
Guide? Jist what a mouse is in the paws of a cat. 
Doc was a mere toy or plaything. And here we are, 
jist a lot of ciphers with the rims knocked off. Talk 
about criticising such a man as that ! 

"I'll tell you what I propose to do. I propose to 
stay right under Elder Guide's instructions until I 
at least know enough to keep out of the fire." 

'That's our firm resolution/' said all of the others 
except Mit Sniggles. 

"I think," said he, "Doc is a mighty smart man, and 
I think the churches are wrong in doctr'n." 

"Jist look at Sniggles," said Loper, "and hear what 
he says. He talks jist as ignorant as he looks. And 
yet I expect that we are all, Doc not excepted, ex- 
actly alike. Sniggles says that he thinks that the 
churches are all wrong in doctr'n. There is not a 
suckin' baby in the United States but what could 
think that as well, if you could keep it from its bottle 
long enough. And yet what he has said is just as deep 
a thing as has been said in this office for a year." 

"Here comes Doc; let's see how he feels about it!" 

"Hello ! Doc, how are you comin' ?" said Winky. 

"How are you stackin' up, Doc?" said Gulper. 

"How's Elder Guide, Doc?" said Loper. 

But not a word from Doc until he had set his case 
down, lit his pipe and got his feet across the corner of 
his old desk. He then faced them and looked at 
them with a studied air for a long time. Finally he 
broke the stillness (for they were all waiting in 
breathless silence) by saying: 

"Boys, do you know how I felt up there in front 
of that great audience, talking to that man ?" 

"No, Doc, how did you feel?" said one. 

"Well, sir, I felt like a fool!" 

166 



anD mm %t ^ouid *Be 



"I thought," said Loper, "when he got through with 
you that you must 'a' felt very much like a certain 
man said that he did when he got religion." 

"How was that, Loper?" Doc inquired. 

"A man had asked him to tell him, in his own lan- 
guage, jist how he felt when he got religion. 'Well, 
sir/ said he, 'I felt jist like a chawed cat/ " 

"That's it, that's it," said Doc. "You couldn't have 
described my feelings any better. Do you know that 
I think that is one of the smartest men I ever heard 
talk?" 

"That is jist what all of us, except Sniggles, de- 
cided jist before you came in," said Loper. 

"You are right, boys, and I am going to tell you 
another thing. I want some of the information that 
he hr : stored away in that magnificent brain." 

"That's our decision, too," said the boys. 

"Of course," Doc continued, "he said but very little 
to me, but what he did say and the way he said it 
would give a man an idea. Then that sermon ! Be- 
liever or unbeliever, one couldn't help but wonder at 
the facts, figures, names, dates and the world of in- 
formation that he gave us in forty-five minutes ! I 
propose to apologize to him not only for my miscon- 
duct last night, but for my dense ignorance as well. 

"I remember when I was a boy there was one 
very much of a man. He made it a point to whip 
men, apparently for pastime, if they crossed him in 
the least. And whenever he said he was going to lick 
a man, well, boys, that fellow had just as well pack up 
and prepare for the occasion, for this Joe Dilly always 
made his word good. So everybody was afraid of 
him. And, as a result, he swelled up and strutted 
around there as if he owned the earth, and all others 
were his hired hands, whom he had employed to run 
the earth for him. 

167 



Wibat the e&urcb 30 



''But finally, on an election day, when all the voters 
in the precinct were out — in those times they stayed 
out all day; business was not so pressing then as to 
cause men to rush to the polls and then rush back. 

"Tommy Buck, on one of those election days, said 
something that Joe Dilly grossly misconstrued into 
something that hurt his vanity. Now, Joe weighed 
just two hundred pounds and looked for all the world 
like the athletic picture that we see in the papers and 
had any amount of practice in fighting. He was just 
thirty years of age. Tommy Buck was forty-five, 
weighed one hundred and forty pounds, and had 
never had so much as a quarrel that I ever heard of. 

"Joe's idea was simply to slap Tommy down with 
his open hand, stick one more feather in his already 
well-decorated cap, and go on about his business. 

"But when he slapped at him, you never saw a cat 
any quicker to spring out of the w r ay of his blow. 
And no cat, with eyes flashing fire, hair from the tip 
of its tail to the point of its nose all turned the wrong 
way, body bowed, claws distended and teeth showing, 
looked any more vicious than did Tommy Buck. When 
Joe struck at him the second time, it was with all his 
strength, with his powerful, big fist clenched this time 
like a vice. Tommy warded his blow off, then, putting 
forth every particle of his own strength, he flew into 
his face, landed under his chin the awfullest blow that 
I ever saw given, which laid Joe flat on his back. 
And if he had not been the most powerful man in the 
world, he would have stayed there. But, as it was, he 
no sooner hit the ground than he was on his feet 
again, now looking, for all the world, like a tremen- 
dously enraged bull when, with a great roar, he 
lunged at his opponent like a raging storm that would 
seem to sweep everything before it. But Tommy 
again, with the same precision, laid him flat. This 

168 



ann mm it @&ouid ibc 



was repeated twice, by which time he was so far dis- 
abled that Tommy could get onto him with his feet, 
when he broke several of his ribs, actually stamped his 
teeth down his throat and continued to stamp him 
until he ceased to offer any further resistance any 
more than if it had been his dead body lying there. 
In fact, we thought he was dead. And, boys, do you 
know that Joe Dilly never fought again? It made a 
man of him. 

"Now, I have told this story at some length because 
it so strikingly illustrates my own condition. I have 
been thoroughly whipped, and that by a man who 
never had a debate in his life, and was not expecting 
any at this time. I jumped on him unawares. I'll 
never fight again. Henceforth I am a learner." 

"Doc," said Loper, "now you begin to talk like a 
man sane and in his right mind. The fact is that he 
not only walloped you, but through you he walloped 
the whole 'kit' of us. And henceforth, as you say, 
we are all learners." 



CHAPTER XXII. 

OLD DOC'S APOLOGY. 

The next day (Tuesday), "blue" Monday having 
passed, Elder Guide was in his study alone. In his 
prayer there in his study, where none could hear 
his silent, secret prayer but God, he had prayed, "We 
are promised in thy Holy Word that if 'any man lack 
wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men 
liberally, and upbraideth not/ We are nothing but 
poor, weak, fallible worms of the dust. Without thy 
divine assistance we can do absolutely nothing — we 
cannot speak one word, we cannot walk one step, we 

169 



OTjat tfje Cfwrcf) 3s 



cannot draw one breath. We are entirely dependent 
upon thee for all that we have, and are, and ever ex- 
pect to be in this world, and in the world to come. 

"Therefore, with great humility of heart and deep 
solemnity of purpose, we implore thee to give us 
wisdom in the discussion of this important text, 'As 
much as lieth within thee, live peaceably with all 
men.' There is so much enmity in the world not sim- 
ply against us, our teachings and practices, O Lord, 
but against the truth — against God — that it is im- 
possible to live peaceably with all men. 

"But give us wisdom that we may so let our light 
shine as to so thoroughly illuminate the pathway in 
which thou wouldst have all men tread, that all with 
whom we may be associated from day to day, and 
from time to time, may be left wholly without ex- 
cuse. Hear us, in mercy, answer us in peace and 
finally save us in heaven, for Christ's sake, Amen/' 

While he felt greatly strengthened for the task 
before him, still there was an unexplainable heaviness 
about him. He could not get old Doc Spondug out of 
his mind. The rough exterior of the man was con- 
stantly before his mind, and he could hear the very 
tone of his voice. He could see his first defiant atti- 
tude, then his cowering. He said to himself : 

"What a perverse idea of life that man has ! How 
utterly he is failing to meet and discharge the duties 
and responsibilities that God has placed upon him! 
He is falling so far short of the pleasure, the joy 
and happiness that the Lord has provided for him! 
Poor man, he is unhappy and condemned in this 
world, and he will be unhappy and eternally lost in the 
world to come. Oh, how my heart goes out to him ! 
I do wonder if what I said to him the other night 
hardened him, and made him more set in his ways? 
I do hope differently. Still, it was the best I could 

170 



antr mm It g>fcoulD » 



do. God forgive me if I said the wrong things! I 
do want to see that man so much, for there appeared 
to have been many others who were under his influ- 
ence, and if I could only do him good I might be 
able, through him, to do those under his influence 
good." 

These thoughts were flitting through his mind 
right while he was preparing his discourse upon the 
above text, "As much as lieth within you, live peace- 
ably with all men," and he could not keep them out 
of his mind. 

Presently he heard rather heavy footfalls coming 
up the stairway, whose heaviness was somewhat over- 
come by a manifest effort to do so. A rap on the door 
and, almost at the same time, a deep voice which, it 
seemed to him, he had heard before said : 

"May I come in?" 

"Come in," said the minister. 

And behold ! Old Doc Spondug, looking somewhat 
chastened, but wearing a pleasant smile, presented 
himself. 

"Elder Guide, I presume that you know me?" he 
said, in altogether a different tone from that of Sun- 
day evening. 

"Indeed, I do," and, taking him by the hand and 
laying his other hand upon Doc's shoulder, said : 

"And I want to say to you, my dear sir, that an 
angel from heaven would be no more welcome here 
this morning than you are. For I have suffered, 
grieved and prayed not a little over you since our 
conversation Sunday night. In fact, I can't recall a 
single moment when you and those with you have 
been out of my mind. 

"When I have been engaged in conversation, and 
even while preparing this discourse, you were con- 
stantly in my mind. I have wondered if I said the 

171 



OTjat tlje Cimrci) 1$ 



right thing Sunday night. I have thought of the bare 
possibility of what I said driving you further away. 
What I said was not premeditated. I said it simply 
because I did not know what else to say. And when 
you asked to be admitted into this room, that very 
minute I was desiring to see you more than any other 
man on this earth. I cannot express my joy and 
happiness at your coming. Kindly take this comfort- 
able chair and remember, too, that studies do not 
count now, for this is sacredly and solemnly set apart 
for our conversation/' 

"What!" said Doc, as he took the proffered seat 
and looked steadily into the kindly brown eyes of the 
minister, apparently slightly floating in tears, thereby 
demonstrating the fact that his whole heart and soul 
were in what he had been saying, "What! you inter- 
ested in me, the pure saintly man that you are and the 
cruel beast of a man that I have been! No, that 
cannot be!" 

"O Doctor, sometimes I feel that before God you 
might be nearer the kingdom than myself. It is with 
such fear and trembling that I am feebly trying to 
work out my salvation that I cannot, for a single mo- 
ment, think of myself as superior to any man. It is 
the grace of God only that lifts one man above an- 
other in proportion to the degree of grace received 
by each." 

"Elder Guide, I came here for the sole purpose of 
apologizing to you for my rudeness in interrupting you 
while delivering your discourse, which represented 
so much hard work and such painstaking study. And 
for disturbing your public worship. Do you know 
that your replies were so ingenious, brief and yet so 
overwhelming that, for the moment, I could think of 
nothing to do but to get mad? At the time, do you 
know that I thought your replies the most cutting, 

172 



and mm It ^fcoulo 15e 



ironical and sarcastic that I had ever heard, and sup- 
posed at the time that you would go away boasting 
and gloating over your victory. 

"But even then my better judgment told me that 
you were not that kind of a man. Being insanely mad 
accounts for such gross reasoning on my part. I 
have thought and thought a great deal over your 
replies, and instead of appearing sarcastic and ironical 
I have come to the conclusion that they were the 
very mildest way in which you could have possibly 
met me on my own ground. 

"You made no argument, you made no accusations. 
You simply asked me a few of the most fair and rea- 
sonable questions that could possibly be framed con- 
cerning my own position. No, Elder Guide, you 
manifested the sweetest, most gentle and most con- 
ciliatory spirit that a man could possibly manifest 
under such trying circumstances. As I think of it 
now, it would not have been at all out of the way 
for you to have called an officer and fired me out at 
the time. 

"No, indeed; instead of driving us farther away, 
we already being about as far away as it was possible 
for us to get, your kindness and gentle spirit has 
drawn us infinitely nearer — not only myself and those 
present with me Sunday night, but all who meet with 
us at the club. We have talked the matter all over 
among ourselves, and we all feel exactly the same 
way toward you. Besides, I want to say to you for 
myself and on behalf of those whom I represent that 
henceforth we will not throw a straw in your way, 
or in the way of your work. And we will all prom- 
ise to hear everything that you say in a public way 
from now on that it is possible for us to hear and to 
listen respectfully." 

"Doctor, you have lifted a tremendous load from 



OTjat the Cfjurcfi 1$ 



my heart ! I would not have missed your coming 
for the world ! By virtue of your visit and our con- 
versation I will be able to do more effective work 
in the future. Also, if you don't mind, I would be 
pleased to meet you all at your club some time in the 
near future." 

"With all my heart, on behalf of the club, I extend 
you a most cordial invitation. No man in all the city 
of Bidwell will be more welcome/' 

The very same day a dray was seen to drive up in 
front of the old office and stop. In a few minutes it 
was seen driving away with the entire outfit of furni- 
ture, desk, chairs, spittoons and all. A little later 
the same dray returned with a nice desk, chair and 
other chairs, a large rug and some choice pictures. 
The entire place was completely transformed. 

But the transformation in the members' style of 
dress, conversation and otherwise was even greater 
than in the appearance of the room. After that, El- 
der Guide was a frequent caller at the club. And no 
man was ever received with more manifest appre- 
ciation. Many of them were heard to say, "His com- 
ing and going is like the passing of a beautiful ray of 
sunshine !" 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

NEVIN TALKS WITH HIS PARENTS. 

"Son," said the mother, as they sat around the 
tablespread at the evening meal, "for quite a while 
you have not appeared altogether like yourself. There 
seems to be something troubling you, and has been 
ever since the Jenkins' case. But for the last few 
days you have been as cheerful, light hearted and 
happy as I ever saw you. What has been the trouble, 
and what is the cause of your light-heartedness now ?" 

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"Bless your heart, mother! We can't keep any- 
thing from mother, can we? I thought I was keep- 
ing you and father both in the dark all of this time." 

"Oh, no, indeed, son, never think that. Your father 
and I have had many talks about your apparent men- 
tal trouble/' 

"Yes, son," said the father, "and we know that it 
was something aside from your business, too, for the 
reason that you are not the kind to worry over busi- 
ness. Besides, you have been successful in every- 
thing in a business way that you have undertaken. 
We have felt all the time that just as soon as you 
thought proper you would make all known. And, as 
everything now seems to be clear to you, we thought 
possibly you might be ready to report." 

"Yes, you are right. I have been troubled in more 
than one way. I have had two problems to solve 
which were exceedingly difficult — those I have been 
troubling over. I have solved them both — that is why 
I am rejoicing now. I believe that it is due to you 
both to know the problems and my solutions of the 
same." 

"Certainly," said the Governor. "We never kept 
anything from you, and we never want the time to 
come that our only son will keep anything from us." 

"I shall mention the second problem first. You 
know, father, that we have always been looked upon 
as unbelievers. In fact, we claimed to be and thought 
we were because of our attitude toward the churches. 
Now, is that not true?" 

"It is." 

"We maintained our attitude toward the churches 
because of the weaknesses, frailties, dishonesty and 
hypocrisy of the church members. Their failures 
caused us to lose confidence in humanity, which 
caused us a great deal of unhappiness. We could 

m 



OT)at m Cfjutcl) 1$ 



not think as much of people as we would like to. I 
have heard you say that you despised everybody ex- 
cept your own family." 

"That's true, son. It may have been wrong in me. 
Anyway, my life has always lacked something to 
make my happiness complete. Despising people 
made me very unhappy at times, and it might be that 
if there is anything that would make me think more 
of people, it would solve my difficulty and complete 
my happiness." 

"Father, it seems that it never occurred to either 
of us that the things that we objected to so vigorously 
and on account of which we would have nothing to 
do with the churches do not constitute Christianity at 
all. That the few faithful members deplore the hy- 
pocrisies in the churches as much as we do. And 
that the Bible condemns it as vigorously as we do. 

"Now, the solution of the second problem sub- 
mitted to me is a virtual solution of the first. Or, 
rather, the solution of the first depends upon the solu- 
tion of the second. 

"The second problem, father: Are the Scriptures 
authentic, and did they come by inspiration? I have 
been studying them day and night, and my final con- 
clusion is that if they are not true, authentic and 
inspired, then there is nothing in the universe that is 
true — that can be proven." 

The Governor had been so pronounced in his un- 
belief for so long that his son was the only man in 
the universe to whom he would have granted the 
privilege of saying so much. He knew that it was 
not his son's disposition to take anything for granted, 
and that he was thoroughly capable of investigating 
any subject. He knew that he himself had not inves- 
tigated the Scriptures, and that if his son had, and 
had concluded that they were authentic, then there 

*?6 



3nD Wbat It ^ftouiD T5t 



must be some very strong, apparent reason for it, 
otherwise he never would have so concluded. And 
he, in his own heart, was resolving, right while his 
son was talking, to investigate them himself, as old as 
he was. 

"Yes, father, by reading the Scriptures closely I 
find that they condemn the very things — all the things 
that you have always condemned. They condemn 
them in stronger terms than you or I ever did. Again, 
strange to say, the very principles that you have al- 
ways advocated are advocated by the Bible. 

"For instance, you have always been in favor of 
helping the widows, orphans, the poor and needy. 
The Bible says : Ture and undefiled religion before 
God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and 
the widows in their affliction and keep yourself un- 
spotted from the world/ So you see that the very 
principle that you have always been in favor of is the 
pure and undefiled religion taught in the Scriptures. 

"Again, you have always been heart and hand, 
soul and body, life and spirit against bragging, boast- 
ing and gloating over what one is doing. 

"The Bible says, 'Let not your left hand know what 
your right hand doeth.' So, with reference to every- 
thing that is right. It is all taught in all its fullness 
in the Bible. I don't believe that any rational, think- 
ing and intelligent man or woman can possibly give 
the Bible an honest investigation and still not believe 
in it. So far as I am concerned, that problem is now 
settled forever. 

"The Scriptures are authentic, and they came by the 
inspiration of God, and are profitable for doctrine, re- 
proof, correction and instruction in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fur- 
nished unto all good works, as the Bible teaches. 

"Not only so, but I have learned that there are 

V7 



OTjat tfje Cftutci) M 



many members who are not hypocrites, but are liv- 
ing up to the letter and the spirit of the Bible, accord- 
ing to the very best of their abilities. And there is at 
least one whole congregation in this city devoting 
itself exclusively to the principles and doctrines enun- 
ciated in the Bible. I refer to the church located on 
the corner of Eighth and Hill streets. You know that 
we have talked frequently about the young man who 
was crippled by a runaway team, and how a certain 
strange man and a young lady met their wants until 
the sick one was able to be left alone, while the other 
went back to his work." 

"I remember it very well," said the father. 

"You also remember my having spoken to you 
about having overheard some one talking so kindly to 
that notorious Tom Douey in such a way, just before 
he went to the penitentiary, that he became encour- 
aged, and was anxious to receive his sentence at once 
that he might thereby get through with it the sooner. 
He wanted to get out and make one more good, hon- 
est effort at right living. Also, the Relief Home that 
is comfortably caring for more old and infirm, sick, 
poor and needy people than any other institution in 
all this city." 

"I remember all these things, son. And we both 
agree that they ought to be the work of the churches ; 
and that if the churches were doing these things in- 
stead of competing with each other by all means, fair 
and foul, for the highest social position, their work 
would commend itself to the honest intelligence of 
the community. And there would not be nearly so 
many unbelievers." 

"But, father, I know that you will be astonished 
when I tell you that these are all the work of this one 
church." 

"You don't say!" 

I 7 8 



ana mm it ^jouiu -Be 



"Yes, sir, the tall, neatly dressed, iron-gray old 
gentleman who waited on the young man from the 
time he was taken from the Emergency Hospital to 
his room until his partner came is the minister of that 
church. The two who came the next day and re- 
lieved his sufferings were himself and one of his 
elders. The young lady who did so much for them 
was Miss Emily Church, a member of the same con- 
gregation. It was this same minister who talked to 
Tom Douey, and it is this church that conceived, 
planned, built, and now maintains the Relief Home. 
It is this church that rid the city of the red-light evil 
by converting Betty Loveby and finding places for 
most all the girls. It was this church that completely 
transformed the notoriously immoral resort known as 
the 'Hippo Club/ " 

"Why, son, you astonish me beyond measure! I 
had no idea that there was such a church in the land ! 
How is it that we never heard of all these things as 
the work of that special congregation ?" 

"For the very reason, father, that you have always 
advocated, that is, they don't believe in bragging and 
boasting over what they are doing. And they don't 
believe in it because the Bible says : 'Let not thy left 
hand know what thy right hand doeth.' 

"Father, I believe in doing all these things exactly 
in this spirit. The Bible teaches it, this congregation 
is practising it, and I cannot consistently refuse to 
identify myself with them in this work. This is the 
solution of the second problem." 

"Having investigated it as you have, your conclu- 
sion certainly is logical. I don't see how you can do 
otherwise without doing violence to your conscience 
and better judgment," said the father. 

"Now, as I have already anticipated, my first prob- 
lem is virtually solved. The first problem was this: 

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When I first saw Miss Church, when she came to me 
on a mission of mercy, and I, without any premedita- 
tion or forethought on my part, saw in her the abso- 
lute complement to my life — that without which my 
work, my happiness, my life would be incomplete, un- 
finished, the problem came to me how can I secure 
this complement? 

"I sought her, I found her, I loved her with all the 
energy of my nature. Both her words and actions 
told me that she loved me. Our desire for companion- 
ship was mutual. We not only loved each other, but 
we loved the same things and advocated the same 
kind and spirit of work, and were engaged in exactly 
the same undertaking. When she told me that she 
loved me to the extent that there was absolutely no 
room in her heart for any one else on earth, I said 
then, 'You will be my wife and companion through 
life, won't you?' She replied: 

" 'There is one not insurmountable obstacle, though 
at first it will seem so to you/ 

"Shocked and paralyzed, I finally came to myself 
sufficiently to inquire what that obstacle could possi- 
bly be, when she said: 'Your unbelief/ 

"I said, 'Aren't we engaged in the same kind of 
work in relieving suffering humanity? What is the 
difference then?' 

"She said that we were. And she said, 'But why 
do you do these things ?' 

"I said it was because I thought it was right. 

"She then said, 'Whom are you obeying if you do 
a thing simply because you yourself think it is right Y 

"Of course, there was but one answer to the ques- 
tion, namely, I was obeying myself. 

" 'And/ she said, 'if you are worshipping at all, 
whom are you worshipping?' 

"Again I had to say, 'Worshipping myself/ 

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ann OTmt 3Jt ^ftoulD -Be 



"She then said : 'I also think and know that these 
things are right, but still that is not the reason why 
I do them/ 

"I asked her what other reason could be given. She 
said, 'I do them because God, through the Scriptures, 
commands me to do them. By so doing, instead of 
obeying and worshipping myself, I am obeying and 
worshipping God/ 

"I told her that I saw the point, and that it was 
well taken. But I said, 'Why should my unbelief 
interfere with our marriage ?' 

"Again she replied, 'The Bible says that we should 
not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers/ 

" 'But/ I said, 'I can't believe the Bible/ 

"She then said, 'But did you ever thoroughly inves- 
tigate it as you would prepare for a trial in court?' 

"I told her that I never had, but I would promise 
her that I would. And, father, that is just what I 
have been doing with the result already mentioned. 
And, mother, I now have two reasons for being 
happy. I am now happy over the discovery that the 
Bible is true. And I am happy because there re- 
mains absolutely nothing in the way of our marriage. 
I am so happy I want you and father to know it. I 
want old Ben, the horse and the dogs to know it, and 
I am determined that they shall/' 

The parents agreed with him that he had well ac- 
counted for the change that had come over him. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE TRUTH. 

Thus we see that by making the church the home 
of truth that truth works every hour and moment, day 
and night. It works in ways that no one can sit 

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down and think out beforehand. It permeates every 
social, commercial, professional and literary avenue 
of life. It touches and softens the hearts of the 
strong, who, by virtue of their strength, are en- 
grossed, yea, overwhelmed, with the affairs of this 
life. 

It lifts up the bowed heads and binds up the broken 
hearts. It arouses the hearts and consciences of those 
who are engaged in sin. It silver-lines all the dark 
clouds consequent upon our very existence here in 
the world. It stays all impending storms. It settles 
disputes. It simplifies business problems. 

The influence of any church, possessed of the truth 
and actuated by the same in all that it does, extends 
so far and in such varied ways that at times it is ex- 
ceedingly difficult to take the remote effect and trace 
it back to its cause and source. Such a congregation 
has the blessed privilege of seeing and recognizing 
the fruits of its labors as they appear in abundant 
harvests all around them. Then they have the con- 
scious satisfaction that wherever they may go, even 
to the ends of the earth, the influence of the truth, 
taught in this congregation, is extended by so much 
also. 

Truly great men, who have been so disgusted by 
the frailties and shortcomings of the professed peo- 
ple of God with whom they have come in contact that 
they may have thus far absolutely refused to investi- 
gate the claims of God upon them, are nevertheless, 
by this direct or remote contact with these better 
members, consciously or unconsciously, influenced by 
them. 

The influence may be slight, and yet strong enough 
to prompt them to attend a service at the church 
occasionally, when the influence will be strengthened. 

Or the influence may be so slight as to simply cause 

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them to ask a question, and through the question 
the original impression will be strengthened. 

Or the remote influence may provoke them to read 
the Bible, and reading may not only strengthen the 
original impression, but it may result in conversion. 

Then through one's conversation, life and teaching, 
members of his immediate family, his near neighbors 
and many who come under his influence, may become 
converted. 

Frequently wicked men — designedly wicked — may, 
through pure motives, or perchance impure motives, 
drop into the church services and receive such a 
hearty welcome, such hearty invitations to come again 
and bring friends and see so little to criticize in con- 
nection with the services that they will receive suffi- 
cient impression to prompt them to go back to their 
haunts of sin and tell about it. They themselves may 
attend again. But if they don't themselves, their tell- 
ing about it may put others present to thinking about 
it. So this influence, in its ramifications, is clearly 
finding its way into nooks and corners hitherto un- 
touched. 

As the sun, in his shining, shows no partiality, but 
shines alike upon the bald knobs, barren peaks, deso- 
late plains, as well as the fertile stretches, burdened 
with abundant harvests, so a true church, to imitate 
Christ in making it rain upon the just and the unjust, 
must be interested in men of every possible class. 
This is the kind of a church that the apostle compares 
to a stone building "fitly put together." 

We know that it is impossible to have a building of 
any kind whatever without a foundation of some 
kind. And while the foundation depends, in a meas- 
ure, upon the superstructure, still more depends upon 
the foundation than upon the superstructure. 

For instance, the superstructure may be a thing of 

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beauty and strength; every beam and post connected 
and supported firmly; so strong that it is next to im- 
possible to separate one part from the other. Still, 
if the foundation is not what it should be, if it is of 
sand, when the storms come, the winds blow, the rain 
descends and beats upon the house, it will fall be- 
cause built upon the sand. 

But though the superstructure may not be so strong, 
still, if the foundation is what it should be, it will 
stand. The permanence of a building necessarily de- 
pends then, if not entirely, upon the foundation. 

The permanence of a building may also depend 
upon the material worked into the building. If it is 
wood, hay and stubble, when the fiery trials come, it 
will be consumed. 

But, though the material may be proper, yet if it is 
not properly shaped and fashioned, when the storms 
come, it is easily thrown down. 

Though the material may be all right, properly 
shaped and fashioned, still the building may lack per- 
manence if it is not put together orderly, every stone 
in its proper place. 

Though the material may be good, properly shaped 
and fashioned and put together in perfect order, yet 
the building may lack permanence if the several parts 
are not so firmly connected together that it is next 
to impossible to separate one part from another. 

Even though all the parts are firmly connected to- 
gether and though the foundation be broad, deep and 
immovable, yet if the superstructure, as a whole, is 
not so firmly fastened to this immovable founda- 
tion that it is impossible to separate them, the building 
will lack permanence. 

But if we have a building composed of stone, prop- 
erly shaped and fashioned, put together in proper 
order, firmly connected together, and the whole super- 

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structure, as such, inseparably fastened to an immov- 
able foundation, withstanding the rains, floods, winds 
and storms, then we have the Bible idea of the church, 
with Christ as the broad, immovable foundation, the 
superstructure composed of the members, properly 
convinced, convicted and converted, all knowing and 
occupying their own respective places, so thoroughly 
bound together that it is impossible to separate one 
from another, and the membership, as a whole, insep- 
arably connected with Christ in love. 

Such is the Eighth and Hill church. And just as 
long as it remains such all the infidelity, skepticism, 
atheism and sin in the world combined can never, 
never, never prevail against it. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

BACK AT THE SPRING. 

All who knew him were not only astonished at 
the amount of work that Judge Gross accomplished, 
but also the speed and thoroughness of the same. 
The secret of it all, however, was in his power of 
concentration — his faculty of becoming absolutely lost 
to everything in the world except the subject directly 
under consideration. This it was that frequently en- 
abled him to accomplish wonders in a surprisingly 
short time. 

And his mental energies never have been, and per- 
haps never will be, exerted more nearly to their full 
strength than they w r ere while solving the problem : 
"Are the Scriptures authentic, and did they come 
by the inspiration of God?" The problem solved, he 
manifested as much impatience to get to the spring 
again as a colt would to be let out into a green 
pasture. 

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Seated once more in the enchanted natural seat of 
the old sycamore, they both faced about. The ex- 
pression of his face was that of one who had good 
news, but had so much to tell and so little time in 
which to tell it that he scarcely knew where to begin. 

Hers was that bright, cheerful, hopeful expression 
of confidence. 

Finally, as by way of introduction, he said: 

"I am indeed glad to be here again !" 

"This place, because of associations and sweet mem- 
ories, has almost become a sacred spot to me," said 
she. 

Everything was life about them. The earth, with 
its springtime carpet of green and flowers; the trees, 
with their fresh, green tint and full-grown foliage; 
the winds moaning aloud in the heavy forest-covered 
hills not far away, modifying somewhat, as they 
passed through the tree tops above them, toning down 
into soft zephyrs as they spent themselves in the open 
fields beyond; the alluringly cool, green depths about 
them, through which the spring ran, giving forth its 
splashing and gurgling sound; the whole clump of 
trees (overlooked by the generous and well-meaning 
landlord) literally an aviary with birds of many kinds, 
from the large, black crow that sat on the trees 
as close as he thought it safe to venture, and looked 
down upon them with inquisitive eyes, endeavoring to 
charm them by his occasional rasping caw, caw ! to the 
sweet, bronzed little humming-bird that balanced its 
little body in mid-air with its tiny wings, while, with 
long but almost invisible beak, it sucked honey from 
the flowers, at the same time singing its dainty little 
song — all this seemed to have been nature's prepar- 
ation for this final meeting! 

They both seemed to realize it. They seemed to 
be charmed. They seemed to be under a spell! 

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"Is not this the most charming day that any one 
ever experienced ?" said he. 

"If I had it in my power to change it, I think I 
would leave it just as it is," said she. 

"Judge Gross, I noticed that you were present to 
hear Elder Guide the other evening. I hope that he 
said nothing to drive you farther away from the king- 
dom, or in any way interfere with your investigation." 

"No, indeed; on the contrary, it was a wonderful 
discourse. It was wonderful in the theme selected 
and in the text chosen. It was wonderful in its prep- 
aration — the amount of information that it contained 
and wonderful in its effects upon the audience. At 
first I was just a little disturbed at the interference 
of old Doc Spondug. But when I saw how skil- 
fully and, at the same time, how kindly Elder Guide 
handled the situation, I was glad it happened." 

"Were you really ?" 

"I certainly was, for the reason that it was a won- 
derful lesson for the entire audience in dealing with 
difficult situations. And, as I have learned since, it 
made a greater impression upon old Doc himself and 
those who came with him than upon any others. 
For I hear that he has been to see the minister, apolo- 
gized, promised to come to hear him regularly, has 
cleaned up and refurnished his office, and has had 
Elder Guide come and visit him." 

"He has, and they tell me that the so-called 'Hippo 
Club' is not at all what it was before." 

Conversation about these things was interesting, 
indeed, to her, because they indicated the progress of 
the church; but deep down in her heart there was a 
question burning like a flame of fire ! She wanted to 
ask it, and she wanted him to answer it. 

At the last meeting he was on the anxious seat, 

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wanting to hear the pleasant surprise that she had 
for him. 

To-day she is on the anxious seat, wanting to know 
what progress he has made in his investigations. 

She would say in her heart, "Certainly, he has 
made some progress, or he would not speak so fav- 
orably of Elder Guide and his work. And, in fact, 
he doesn't look the former man of trouble or indeci- 
sion. His face seems to possess the glow of one re- 
joicing in some great accomplishment. But, oh, why 
don't he say something ?" 

Finally, leaning toward him, she laid her hand 
gently on his arm, and, looking up into his face with 
her great, questioning but confident blue eyes, she 
said: 

"You do look so reconciled and so happy; haven't 
you a happy surprise for me to-day?" 

With an expression fully in keeping with that of 
her own, he said : 

"I told you that I would do my utmost to have a 
great surprise for you to-day, as you had for me at 
our last meeting." 

"I know you did, and I knew that you would at 
least make an honest effort to do so." 

"I have never been more honest, earnest and vig- 
orous in an investigation than I have in that of the 
Bible." 

Her face flushed, her heart beat more rapidly and 
pounded harder and louder as the thought of his hav- 
ing failed finally to accept the Scriptures shot through 
her mind! 

After a long, significant pause, during which he 
studiously looked into her face, and, finally seeing 
real pain in her expression, to alleviate which he 
broke the oppressive silence by saying: 

"Every chapter that I read sounded like you talk- 

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ana mm it Mollis age 

ing. I declare to you it seems to me that it comes 
almost as natural for you to talk in Scripture lan- 
guage as it does for me to talk in our English ver- 
nacular. I had often wondered how you could live 
the beautiful, pure and stainless life that you are liv- 
ing. But in my investigation I learned that your life 
is simply a reflection of the Scripture lessons. That 
your life is a living and continuous illustration of the 
lessons that you learn from the Word of God." 

"Oh, then you ?" 

"I found that the Bible contains no contradictions." 

"Then you ac ?" 

"That it contains no inconsistencies/' 

"Oh, joy, joy !" she said in her heart. "I do be- 
lieve in my soul that he is convinced." 

"I found the Old Testament to be a book of types, 
shadows, symbols, promises, predictions and prophe- 
cies, whose antetype, substance and fulfillment are 
contained in the New Testament. That the patriarchs 
and the Jews were under the Old Testament and the 
Christians are under the New. That on the Mount 
of Transfiguration Moses, representing the law, and 
Elijah, representing the prophets, appeared and, as it 
were, laid their authority at the feet of Jesus. For 
God was heard speaking from heaven, saying: 'This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear 
ye him/ That is to say, 'You have heard Moses and 
the prophets hitherto, but henceforth you are to be 
under the teaching of the Son/ To us the lessons 
contained in the Old Testament are written for our 
learning, for our example." 

"Oh, then you bel ?" 

"The book, as a whole, is complete, perfect and har- 
monious. It is as true as complete — it is true in all 
its parts — it is God's plan of salvation; it is the way 
to heaven, and I believe it with all my heart, soul, 

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mind and strength, and" (both rising to their feet and 
lifting their hands high and throwing them back) "I 
propose to lay my time, talents, means, life and all 
upon the altar of sacrifice for Christ." As he fin- 
ished speaking, they both literally fell into each 
other's arms. 

And no one knows the utter futility of human 
speech until he attempts to describe the joy of two 
hearts on an occasion like this after prolonged an- 
ticipation ! 

After they stood for some moments in profound 
silence, so profound that even their heart throbs could 
be heard, he said, with a voice somewhat choked 
with emotion : 

"Now, my dear, you will be my wife, won't you?" 

With her head still on his breast, with her arms still 
clinging about him and his about her, she turns her 
beautiful eyes, that had so completely charmed him 
from the very beginning, up to him and poised her 
beautiful red lips two or three times, as if in an en- 
deavor to speak, but could not. Instead, she clung 
the closer to him. 

"My love, what is it that troubles you so much?" 

"Judge Gross, I was held in suspense so long. I 
came to be so afraid as you were making your state- 
ment that you were not going to become a believer, 
and then I would not only miss your companionship 
through life, but your precious soul would be lost! 
And I could not recover from the awful thought ! I 
was speechless for the moment !" 

"It does grieve me so much that I caused you a 
moment's pain," said he. 

"It is all over now, and the pain that I have caused 
you by having you wait all these weeks and the shock 
through which I have just passed will only endear us 
to each other." 

19Q 



and mm it ^douid nse 



"Then you will be my wife?" 

"My dear, I would not have it otherwise for a 
thousand worlds like this/' she said. 

Then for the first time did he press her sweet lips 
to his own for a long time, then repeated it. 

"I am happy now," said he. "The world looks 
brighter to me than ever before! Nothing but sun- 
shine and flowers, and sweet-scented fragrance! I 
love everybody! I want all to be good and happy! 
I want all to be saved ! And I know that this is the 
desire of your sweet soul, too, for you have told me 
as much." 

We will not attempt to report their conversation 
homeward that afternoon. Neither will we attempt to 
describe the joy of their lives. But we will allow the 
reader to let his imagination run and continue to run 
until it absolutely fails in a vain effort to fathom the 
deep joys of these two hearts. 



CHAPTER XXVL 

GREAT REJOICING AT THE CHURCH, 

Miss Church's faith in God's Word and unbounded 
confidence in his promises to answer prayer was such 
that even if she had not conferred with Nevin Gross 
beforehand she would think that everything would 
finally work out all right. But still it was only human 
for her to feel anxious and continue to hope and pray 
earnestly as the time approached. 

When she appeared at the church on Lord's Day 
morning and saw the great audience — Judge Gross 
among them— she could not help but feel certain that 
all was well. 

Had she not known that he was done with his in- 

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vestigation, she might have thought that he was still 
in the midst of it and that he was present now sim- 
ply to watch the working of the church to see whether 
it was in keeping with what he had read in the 
Bible. Or, perhaps, that he had come to hear Elder 
Guide discourse upon some phase of, or some les- 
son in, the Bible with the hope that he might get some 
points that would help him in his investigation. 

But she felt now — she knew — all was well. She 
thought everything looked better and all looked more 
happy than she had ever seen them. She could speak 
for herself. And she knew that she was more happy 
than ever before. 

She caught one of Judge Gross' glances, and she 
imagined that he looked more perfectly reconciled 
than she had ever seen him. His face was not that of 
a troubled man, of one in the midst of the haze of 
an unsolved problem, but the face of a conqueror, a 
victor. As one just returned from a long, tedious 
journey, and now rejoicing exceedingly in a much- 
needed and well-earned rest. 

Without intending it, or even appearing to do so, 
many and very many heads slightly turned in the di- 
rection of Judge Gross. All of the city being critics, 
he was easily the most brilliant man in the city. And 
his face, together with his most commanding per- 
sonality, might have caused the members of this con- 
gregation to give him special attention had it not 
been for the other fact that the Bible plainly teaches 
that they are to be no respecters of persons. That 
they are to give their attention to the less distin- 
guished. 

Elder Guide was at his best this morning. Was the 
presence of Judge Gross an inspiration to him? No 
one could possibly tell. Elder Guide could not tell 
himself. But presumably he would admit that the 

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presence of such an immense concourse of people as 
he had before him at this time would necessarily give 
him a kind of momentary inspiration. 

He was exceedingly fortunate in the selection of 
his theme this morning — "The Book." 

And his text : "Study to show thyself approved 
unto God; a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the Word of Truth." 

As was his custom, he made his discourse fairly 
bristle with strong points and deep thoughts. His 
sermon showed indefatigable labor and prodigious 
study in its preparation. He was not only a student 
and thinker, but he was eloquent with all. Not a 
studied and stilted eloquence, but that which comes 
from a heart deeply in earnest and on fire for souls. 
Then there is a kind of acquired eloquence that comes 
through abundant preparation. 

This was especially true with Elder Guide. Because 
when he appeared before an audience, when he fin- 
ished a point in his discourse, it was the feeling of 
every one present that the point was not only well 
taken and thoroughly established, but that he had ten 
times as much more thought concerning that point in 
reserve, and that he could have presented more if it 
had been necessary or if he had had time. 

This was true of all the points that he attempted to 
make. And if this was true on other occasions, and 
in the discussion of other themes, it was doubly so 
on this occasion and in the discussion of the sub- 
ject of "The Book." 

He closed with a wonderful description of the fu- 
ture home of the redeemed. He quoted the Savior's 
own language : 

"In my Father's house are many mansions. If it 
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for 

m 



£2Jf)at tije Cfjutcf) 30 



you, I will come again and receive you unto myself 
that where I am, there ye may be also." 

He said: 

"Home is one of the sweetest words in all the Eng- 
lish language! It carries with it the idea of a stop- 
ping place, rest, comfort and the association of the 
nearest and dearest friends. 

"But 'mansion' carries with it all the above, and in 
addition the idea of permanence, beauty, grandeur, 
magnificence and abundance of room. And when 
the Savior says, 'In my Father's house [home] there 
are many mansions/ we cannot help but get the idea 
of that of a mansion emphasized, for aught we know, 
a thousand times, or it may be ten thousand times 
ten thousand millions of times. At any rate, Paul, 
in speaking of the same future abode of the redeemed 
and glorified of earth, after having spoken of it by 
various comparisons, similitudes and figures of speech, 
throws up his hands, as it were, in despair at the in- 
adequacy of language, and in one of the grandest 
perorations that ever flowed from human tongue he 
declares that it is exceedingly abundant, more than 
we can ask or think/ And, with this thought in mind, 
he sums up his own determination in one of the 
grandest climaxes that has ever appeared in any, 
language or all languages combined, asking, 'Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribu- 
lation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked- 
ness, or peril, or sword?' As it is written, 'For thy 
sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted 
as sheep for the slaughter.' 'Nay, in all these things 
we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved 
us.' 'For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, 
nor any other creature shall be able to separate u§ 

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from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our 
Lord/ 

"And finally, becoming so absorbed in his theme, he 
is not conscious of pains and the sting of death, and 
looks forward to the time when he shall stand upon 
the shores of Eternal Bliss, when he can look back 
upon death and the empty grave and sing that song 
of eternal victory, 'O Death, where is thy sting? 
O Grave, where is thy victory? Death is swallowed 
up in Victory/ 

"Then John, looking forward to the final consumma- 
tion of all things, speaks of the future abode of all 
the redeemed as a city wdiose foundations are twelve, 
of non-combustible material, of such variety and so 
arranged as to present a thing of beauty and per- 
manence — a city through which the river of the water 
of life flows ; a city in which the Tree of Life grows, 
bearing twelve manner of fruits, and whose leaves 
are for the healing of the nations. A city whose in- 
habitants are God, Christ, the angels of heaven and 
all the redeemed and glorified of earth ; a city in which 
sin shall never enter. Hence, none of the fruits of sin 
— no sickness, no sorrow, no pain and no death — noth- 
ing but everlasting peace and eternal satisfaction/' 

Then, as a man thoroughly under the spell of his 
own wonderful thoughts, he represented the people 
of all nations coming from the East and West, from 
the North and the South to sit down in the kingdom 
of the Eternal Father with Abraham, with Isaac, and 
with Jacob. Then he called upon the audience to de- 
cide now in favor of that future home. 

The audience arose and the song commenced, and 
when Judge Nevin Gross went forward, a partial 
head taller than any man in the audience, no greater 
religious sensation was ever produced. Not sim- 
ply because he was the greatest man, in every sense 

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OTjat tfje Cfjurci) M 



of the term, in all the city, but because it was almost 
universally understood that he was an unbeliever! 

The rejoicing of the entire congregation was, in- 
deed, profound. Their only object was to lead men 
and women to Christ. And they could not help but 
think what the presence of such talent and such power 
meant to their work. It not only meant his own sal- 
vation, but the salvation of so many whom they never 
could reach without him. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

NEVIN GROSS' STATEMENT. 

After the song Judge Gross was seen to approach 
the minister and speak to him. Thereupon the minis- 
ter stated that this was Judge Gross, of whom all had 
doubtless heard, and whom many had seen and heard 
of some of his wonderful efforts in the cause of right 
and justice. 

"I speak freely, for while I have never known him 
personally, yet I know him well by reputation. And 
his reputation is that he cannot be flattered, he takes 
nothing for granted, and the fact that he has pre- 
sented himself to-day to confess his faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ and identify himself with the people of 
God, worshipping at this place, bespeaks the fact that 
the Book and the cause that we all love better than we 
do our own lives has been subjected to the severest 
tests possible. And because our 'waybill' from earth 
to heaven has stood the test our membership is now 
to be reinforced by as able a man as ever stood before 
an audience. You all know of him as a temperance 
man. The saloon element never has and never will 
meet a more formidable opponent. And in the courts 
his reputation is that of a 'Champion of the right/ 

196 



anD mm it ^ijouio i&e 



"Now, I know that you all feel just as I do, that 
we can do so much more with his assistance than 
without it. He desires to speak a few words to the 
congregation. " 

As he lifted his great, athletic form before them, 
and they were permitted to look into his classic face 
before he said a word, the whole audience was im- 
pressed. They realized that they were in the presence 
of a superior. 

After letting the light of his gracious countenance 
rest upon them for a few moments, he began by say- 
ing: 

"No doubt, you have all heard me spoken of as an 
unbeliever, which was correct. I thought I was. I 
advocated certain principles of justice, mercy and 
right because I thought and knew them to be right. 
Not seeing these principles taught and lived up to 
by church members generally with whom I came in 
contact (until recently), I opposed the churches. I 
opposed the weaknesses, frailties and shortcomings 
of the church members, and thought I was opposing 
the Bible. But recently I have inadvertently come 
in contact with a number of the members of this con- 
gregation who, for special reasons — the salvation of 
my soul among others — informed me that you are do- 
ing the very things that I have always believed in 
and advocated. And they astonished me by saying 
that they were not doing them because I believed in 
them, neither because they themselves believed in them. 
And, in my state of mind, at the time, I could not 
think of any other reason for which honest people 
could do a thing. 

"But, upon inquiry, they gave me the simple, 
straightforward answer, which, upon the whole, was 
the most rational answer that I ever heard to any 
question, that is, they did it because God, through 

197 



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His Word, commanded them to do it. They told me 
that the Bible taught everything that I advocated and 
condemned everything that I condemned, and asked 
me if I had ever investigated the Bible. I told them 
that I had not, but that I would. 

"I am here to-day to report the result of as honest, 
earnest and thorough investigation of the Bible as I 
was capable of giving. And my conclusion without 
any reservations, mental or otherwise, is that the 
Bible is the Book. The Book of all books. The Book 
that stands out by itself, beyond and above all the 
books that have ever been written. Without a single 
contradiction, inconsistency or incongruity within its 
sacred lids, but one grand, complete, perfect and 
symmetrical whole. That it is the oldest and best 
Book in the world. Translated into more languages 
and read by more people than any book that has 
ever been written. It contains the origin, history, and 
the final destiny of man — man as he was, man as he 
is, and man as he shall be, are the three grand themes 
treated upon in this Blessed Book. It reveals to us 
God in His relation as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
in His great work of creation, providence and re- 
demption. 

"It addresses itself to men of every possible class — 
the strong and the weak, the wise and the simple, the 
oppressor and the oppressed, the husband and the 
wife, the parents and the children, the saved and the 
unsaved. It calls attention, either directly or indi- 
rectly to every sin that it is possible for man to com- 
mit, connects a warning therewith and places a pen- 
alty in sight. It calls attention, either directly or 
remotely, to every duty that it is possible for man 
to perform and places a reward in sight. It calls at- 
tention to man's duty in all of its minutiae. What a 
Book? How we should love it! Then let's make it 

198 



ana mm it §>&ouid iat 



as sandals to our feet, raiment to our persons, a chain 
about our necks, a crown upon our heads, a lamp to 
our feet, a light to our pathway, our rock, our fortress, 
our exceeding high tower, our place of refuge in 
every time of need ! For, 

"A glory gilds the sacred page, 
Majestic as the sun. 
It gives a light to every age, 
It gives but borrows none. 

"The hand that gave it still supplies 
This gracious light and heat; 
Its truths upon the nations rise — 
They rise but never set. 

"Therefore I say: 

"Though all the forms that men devise 
Assault this Book with cunning art, 
I'd call them vanities and lies, 
And bind the Bible to my heart." 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE TRUTH. 

As he spoke the last word, he pressed a Bible that 
he held in his hand to his heart. And the tactful 
minister, taking advantage of this psychological mo- 
ment and to make the best possible use of the won- 
derful impression that his statement had made, 
through tears and with suppressed voice, asked: "In 
the light of what you have just heard, is there an un- 
saved person in the house who is not now willing to 
take this wonderful Book as his guide through life? 
Come while we sing." 

They were seen to come from all parts of the 
house. It was the beginning of a revival whose influ- 

199 



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ence reached to the remotest bounds of the city and 
even beyond. There was not a person in the city en- 
gaged in a legitimate business but what was encour- 
aged. And there was not one engaged in an ille- 
gitimate business but what was discouraged by the 
influence of this meeting. 

When Judge Gross drove home a few days later, 
rejoicing in the pardon of all his past sins, the com- 
forting influence of the Holy Spirit and the bright 
and glorious hope of heaven with all that heaven 
means, and the most precious jewel of earth with 
him, to walk by his side through life, he was as happy 
as it is possible for a man to be in this world. 

But in all this, old Ben must be reckoned with as 
a close second. For upon "Marse Nevin's" approach 
with his beautiful bride, while Ben said nothing until 
he was spoken to, his eyes and face spoke volumes. 
He verily thought that it was as much his victory as 
it was that of the Judge. He, in his simple honesty, 
thought that the part that he performed in keeping 
Roanoke in the best of condition, was just as impor- 
tant as the part that the Judge performed. Ben 
could not think for a single moment that "Marse 
Nevin" would have ever succeeded, had he not helped 
him. And the Judge was perfectly willing that he 
should think so. 

"And this is Ben, who saved your life," said the 
bride to her husband. 

"Yes, that is Ben, and one of my best friends, too," 
said he. 

"I am glad to see you, Ben, and I hope that we will 
be good friends, too," said she. 

"Yass'm, yass'm," said Ben, and went away as 
happy as if he, too, had found a bride. 

THE END. 
200 



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